The Collinsport Chronicles XXVII: Liz
by Maryland Rose
Summary: Elizabeth has cheated death. But at what price?
1. Chapter 1

LIZ

Angelique had been rescued, and Yolanda unmaked as Schuyller's niece looking for revenge on Angelique. Liz had died of cancer, but before her death she has been paying Derek Pearce for undisclosed services. Phillip had disappered, leaving behind a prengant and penniless Vicky, who has returned to Collinsport. Urien has been found, and Barnabas plans to adopt him.

* * *

Chapter 1

Barnabas had brought Comet back from Wyncliffe for, as he said, a short vacation from work. He felt a twinge of uneasiness remembering that Comet was not a dog but a human being trapped inside a dog's body. However unworthy the man had been of the name "human", he still had his birthright taken without even a trial.

But then, how much of a trial did Nunez give his victims?

Still, it was a fact that he had overstepped himself when he had used Angelique's spell to inflict this particular punishment on Nunez.

Absentmindedly he stroked Comet's ears. Comet growled, resentful at being treated the way he was, and by someone who knew the truth about him.

"It is not that bad." Barnabas spoke "I did not sell you to a laboratory. I did not turn you over to the ASPCA for destroying. And I did not have you fixed. So what about a little gratitude?"

The growl became weaker but did not disappear.

"You still angry with me? You still wonder what right did I have to do this to you? Well, I agree that your human rights were violated. On the other hand, I can't help finding your concern about human rights somewhat belated. You should have cared about them when you were the one dishing it out."

Comet lowered his head and closed his eyes.

"I wonder if you understand what I am talking about. I wonder if you can ever understand... Sometimes I think that you are hopeless, that you will remain a dog forever. But that would be Norma speaking...She was in too much pain to know better while I am supposed to be in control of myself. Maybe what I can't forgive you is that I had to kill her."

"And I had killed before, you see, Comet?" I did it when... when I was a different person than I am now. I did not like being reminded of what I was, of what I might become again. And she touched me. I knew her pain. I knew her need. She was the same way I used to be. She was me... I could not let her kill the boy. But I wanted her to get away with it... Do I make sense to you?"

The low growl in Comet's throat told him to cut his lecture short.

"Comet, if you behave, I promise that for a short time I will restore human shape and speech to you, so that we can talk about these things."

Comet stopped growling.

"Well, that's a good dog. And a good working dog. In fact, you are doing so well that Julia wants to add more animal therapists to the payroll."

He knew what he was doing and he checked himself. No gloating, it was wrong. The only justification that hen could find for what he was doing was that it was his way of teaching him about he value of humanity. He had to keep his mind on it. If he abused his position with Nunez, that justification was gone.

Certainly, Nunez was not very promising material when it came to being human, but then, he had been even less promising material, once.

* * *

Willie could not help giving Urien a resentful look.

Barnabas was actually going to adopt him! A two-bit male prostitute, that was what Urien was!

He recognized the jealousy that caused his reaction. He told himself again that Urien was just a kid with too many bad breaks. But he could not control it.

Luckily Vicky's presence made him refrain from doing something that eh would regret later. Unhappily Barnabas was not the only one with a too quick temper.

Vicky seemed to be feeling better, even if she was still worried about Phillip. And maybe worrying if Barnabas' adoption of Urien had made him forget his promise to be a father to her baby... he did not really owe her, but still...

"You seem to be doing well" Willie commented to her.

"Yes. I am. But I am still in limbo. I would like to go look for a job, but Barnabas said to wait at least until the child is born. Anyway, who is going to hire me, in my state? He said to take up knitting, and that then I can work for Sandy Miller. She owes him a few favors."

Willie shook his head. Knowing what Sandy had wanted of Barnabas, was it wise to ask her for help? Vicky understood what he meant, even if he said nothing.

"If not, he'll talk to Davenport. Or I can work at the hotel. Or something else..."

"Yes. Barnabas is a good unofficial placement service. I guess that he gets to know a lot of people in his rounds. So he knows who is looking for work and who is hiring. Of course, lately there's been a lot more looking than hiring. Reaganomics, it is called. Voodoo economics. Hell, to a point I am lucky that I own my shop. Still, if people don't have enough money they stop buying and then I have to cut corners. And with Pearl, it isn't easy. I mean, me and Louella, we can do without. Pearl can't. She needs so many things. Clothes, hearing, doctor's bills. As for myself, at the moment I can't afford to come down with anything more serious than a cold. If the van had a problem I don't know what I'd do. Barnabas does not know how lucky he is that he does not need to shop for groceries and things like that."

* * *

Yolanda stood straight in front of Carolyn, looking impassible.

"This covers it." Carolyn handed her the envelope. "Your severance pay. I hope that it is enough to satisfy you. Actually, I don't even have to do this. You came here under false pretenses and were involved in illegal acts. I could actually press for prosecution."

"So why don't you do it?" Yolanda asked insolently.

"You are not worth the trouble." Carolyn said coldly "I just prefer not to see you in Collinwood again."

Yolanda looked down on her former employer "Or you just don't want your dirty linen to come out."

"You are truly your uncle's niece. Are you thinking of blackmailing me?"

"I wonder what would happen if certain people knew about your cousin Barnabas. Or even your Uncle Roger."

Carolyn tapped he fingers over the table top. "Have you heard of Wyncliffe Sanitarium? They would be better qualified to treat your delusions."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Wouldn't I? Who do you think they'd believe? Me, the head of Collins Enterprises? Or a young woman who came here under an assumed name, chasing a pet conspiracy theory? No, Miss Oates, or Overton, or whatever your name is, I will advice you to keep your mouth shut."

* * *

Peter sat looking numbly out of the window.

"Peter?" Jessica tried to coax him to her "Are you there?"

Peter said nothing. Just kept staring at the darkening sky.

"You don't want to play? Or watch TV, or anything?"

Peter made a slight movement with his head, then growled something that sounded like "no".

Jessica gave up. She had been trying to reach him. She closed the door behind him and went back to the living room.

"It is not working" she told Zeb. "I am not qualified to deal with him."

"He'll snap out of it. You know what Dr. Morton said, that he needs to live in a familiar setting. You recommended her."

"Yes. But Audrey also said that he should have more attention and care than we are providing. And she recommended that he stay with her longer."

Zeb growled. "You want to wash your hands off him."

"And you want to use him as a pawn in your battle with Brant and Collins. Look, I do not care about them. I care about the kid. I grant you, I don't feel maternal about him. Then I am not qualified to deal with a disturbed child like this. I am scared of mishandling him. So, either we send him back to Audrey who can handle him, or we get someone to live with us who has experience handling troubled children. I am serious Zeb. You fight Brant and Collins as much as you want - even if think you are unwise about it. - but this kid needs more serious help than you or I can provide alone."

* * *

Yolanda turned on her flashlight. She was not going to leave Collinsport. She knew that Carolyn kept something hidden in Collinwood and she was going to find out what it was.

The mask was destroyed, but not all of her power was gone with it. She had learned several spells, which she could use. Her power was weak now. But she could still cloud minds, and make them not see her as she went in.

She was going to find Carolyn's secret and used it in some way. How, she wasn't sure.

Soon she would face Angelique again and extract payment for her betrayals. Schuyller's and her Master's, Zachary...

She walked noiselessly over the deserted corridors, stopping a few times to allow the rats to scurry away.

Then there was a rat that did not move. It was dead, and she could now see the torn throat.

There was another dead rat. And another. And they led towards a locked door.

She closed her hand on the lock and muttered the spell.

The door unlatched itself. She pushed and stepped in.

She felt the presence inside the room, and knew that she was being watched.

"Mrs. Atwater, I presume?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Elizabeth stepped back. Something warned her that she should not touch this woman. "Did Carolyn send you?" she asked.

Yolanda saw the shining eyes. And if she strained she could see the sharp teeth. She held her breath. She looked in her mind for the information that Judah had given her on how to control vampires. she'd have to use it now.

"Yes. Carolyn sent me. But not for what you think,"

"You did bring it, then?" Liz asked anxiously.

"Bring?" Yolanda did not understand the question.

"I need it. For the pain."

Yolanda understood. Liz had cheated death by becoming a vampire. But the cancer would not be cheated. It would keep on growing, feeding on her, and hurting.

"I have something better than that." Yolanda grinned to herself. "A way to make the pain go away without drugs. Just lie back and let me do."

Liz obeyed, extending herself on the floor.

"I am hungry, too." she said "I can catch rats, but it is all. I don't want to depend too much on Roger. I don't want to touch Carolyn... And I hurt too much to go outside.. I can't fly..."

Yolanda's fingers massaged Liz's temples as she began chanting the incantation that would both relieve Liz's pain and make her obedient. She was not sure that she could control Liz by her powers alone, but if Liz became dependent on her for pain relief, it would amount to the same thing.

She did not know how she was going to use Liz. But whatever plans she had for the future, Liz very likely would be part of them.

Liz closed her eyes, feeling the relief creep into her body... it felt so strange not to feel pain...

* * *

"So you fired Miss Oates?"

"Overton. Yes. I did. I had to, after the trouble she caused."

Barnabas shook his head. "I don't like her. But still it seems unfair. She did not look for trouble. She stumbled on it."

"You say that after what she tried to do?"

"If falling under Nicholas' spell is a crime, then you should be convicted, too. At one time you too were under Nicholas' power."

"Never like she did."

"Nicholas did not ask you much, for reasons of his own. But I did ask you. You would have helped me murder Julia, wouldn't you?"

"That's old history." Carolyn blushed "and, anyway, you did not kill her."

"There is hardly any one of us who can't fall prey to some outside force. I fell prey to the Leviathan and brought grief to everyone without being able to do anything about it."

"So what's your point?"

"That you should give Miss Oates... Overton, another chance."

"I won't. She gave me a false name. She did not come to teach Edmund, but to snoop around looking for evidence that Angelique was a bigamist and what else. As far as I am concerned, this is ground enough for dismissal."

"Mrs. Johnson came to spy on the family, too."

"There were extenuating circumstances. She was an old friend of mother's. She repented of her actions. She was an older woman with little money and family problems. Miss Overton is young, gifted, provided for. She was not trying to make ends meet. She was fortune hunting."

"Still, it seems too severe."

"Barnabas" Carolyn smiled "you are a real pushover, you know that? Yes, I know that you have turned Willie around and you have had good results with all your servants. But I can't control mine the way you can control yours. Miss Overton has to go. And anyway, she only wanted her job so that she could snoop. She may be hurt in her pride, but she did not care for the job itself."

Barnabas shrugged, uncharacteristically at loss for words.

"I am going to need a new governess for Edmund. That or send him to public school."

"I still think that it should be public school... or even a private one."

"I could get a pregnant governess for him."

"Vicky?"

"Sure, why not? She is qualified. She has, as far as I am concerned, good references. If she could handle David, she can handle anything. Sure, her pregnancy, and the baby later can present problems, but nothing that can't be handled. Actually, this is the best kind of job for her. The classroom would only be a few rooms from the baby, at most. She could care for it while teaching Edmund at the same time.

"I would have to talk to her about it."

"Oh, she'll take it. After all, she is staying with you on a charity basis. You do not make her feel that way, but that's what it is. I am offering her a chance to support herself. Do talk to her. I _do_ need a governess, and I want someone I know that I can trust."

* * *

Yolanda knelt by the long dead body of Judah Zachary.

"I failed you, Master." she said "they surprised me and you were cheated of your revenge."

She touched the decayed, headless body. The power left in it was weak now, with the mask shattered, but some of it could be used. She had used some of it on Liz.

"But we will achieve revenge, you and I. It will take time and planning. Miranda will not escape us. _They_ will not escape us. Maybe I will use this vampire, though she is weak. But however I do it, they'll pay for what they did to you."

* * *

Julia could not keep from wincing when she was Adam waiting for her at the office. he had always been correct in his behavior towards her, even since he had returned as Liz's husband. But she could feel the anger still burning in him. Or was it just her own guilt feelings?

"Doctor Hoffman" there was more than a hint of irony in the way he rose to greet her. "It was good of you to let me see you."

"If there is any way I could be of help to you..."

"Yes. There is. I can pay you well for it."

"If I can help you, you won't need to pay for it."

Adam smiled ironically "I prefer to pay for what I get, specially now that I can afford it."

"But..."

"But what? Are you going to say that you owe me something and that you want to work off your debt? Well, Doctor Hoffman, you'll have to live with your debt a bit longer. What I get out of you now I pay in hard cash." This time the insult wasn't veiled. He stared at Julia up and down. "I think that it would be useless to pretend that we like each other. But three is no reason why we cannot cooperate to a point. Is that good enough, doctor?"

Julia gulped. "I guess it is."

"Good. What do you know about the portrait that Charles Delaware Tate painted of Quentin Collins?"

"I know that Quentin should have it now."

"Does this portrait age?"

"It does. That's why Quentin doesn't"

"I see. And why was Tate able to do this?" Adam's eyes burned with intensity.

"Why do you want to know?"

"That is none of your business," Adam growled.

"It is. Tell me why you want to know."

"Doctor Hoffman, you still see me as that helpless creature that you put together in the basement and that could be pushed around. Well, doctor, you are wrong. I have changed. I have seen the world. I know what I want and how to get it. Don't make me show you how."

Julia gulped, tried to protest, but she did not. She felt guilty about Adam, and while she knew that he might be exploiting this he could not restrain herself. Adam was the closest thing she had to a son, and the knowledge of how badly she had botched her chance held her listening to her child.

"I don't see why I should be telling you this, except that I might as well get it out. Charles Delaware Tate was given this gift by Count Andreas Petofi, who wanted to use Charles in his schemes. According to Petofi, Charles; gift would last only while he, Petofi lived. He seemed to have taken it back sometime in 1897, but he might have given it back if he found a use for it."

"He probably did... But Petofi is dead, and the portrait is still effective."

"Well, take your pick. Petofi isn't dead. The end of the gift was not retroactive. Or simply Petofi lied to keep Charles obedient."

"Well," Adam smiled slightly "I got a name. Petofi. Tell me about him, Doctor."

Julia did. Adam did not interrupt her and only got up when she was done.

"Have I helped you?" she asked at the end.

"Yes. You did. You deserve payment." Insultingly, he laid down three one hundred dollars bills on her desk. "Is this enough?"

* * *

"Mrs. Collis fired me." Yolanda hoped that she sounded tearful and injured enough.

"She did?' Zeb asked.

"She believe what Mr. Collins told her. Mr. Barnabas Collins."

The name had the desired effect on Zeb. She saw him bristle and his eyes narrow angrily.

"Have you tried to explain it to her about him?"

"She would not believe me. Somehow he's gained an ascendancy over her. He comes to visit Edmund any time he likes. He is alone with him and when I tried to protest he said he'd have me fired. And he did..."

Zeb's face told her that she had calculated well. It was the kind of behavior that Zeb expected from Barnabas, confirming his worst suspicions.

"I need a job, Dr. King." she said simply "And I thought you could help me."

"I am looking for a specific person, to work with a severely disturbed child."

"I have worked with disturbed children" she would make it appear it so when he checked "I know about the boy who is living with you, Peter Upton."

Zeb King nodded. He thought about it for half a second. If her reference checked, he had found the right person to handle Peter. One who would not be swayed by Barnabas Collins..

* * *

He had a name. Count Andreas Petofi. And either he was alive, or a dead liar. Because Charles _had_ painted another portrait, long after Petofi's supposed death. His own, Adam's, portrait. That was how his dependency on Barnabas had been removed. it was the only other portrait that Charles had painted. Petofi's gift scared him too much.

He had painted still lifes. Very realistically looking money. Food, which once created, ended in the kitchen and on the table. He remembered the caviar and champagne painting. That had been delicious. He sold some of the paintings afterwards. Not many. Realistic paintings were getting out of style. Charles could not see anything good in the modernist movement. Impressionism was the most he could stand. And, given his gift, it was wise to keep away from the modern school. What would have happened if he gave birth to a surrealist monster? Or an abstract shape moving about the house?

But still, he had painted Adam's portrait. And made him his son. That was where "Deale Atwater " came from. An anagram of "Delaware Tate".

But the one thing that Charles had refused to share with him was the origin of his gift. he did not like to talk about it at all. He was actually afraid to do so, as if somehow it could bring something unwanted back. As if by mentioning Petofi's name, he'd show up at the front door.

Well, he was not Charles. He was tough. And he was going to track Petofi.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Roger entered the dark corridors of the deserted wing.

"Liz" he called. "Liz"

He felt terrible about leaving her alone like this, hungry and in pain. But he could not get the painkiller easily... the dealer wanted to hike prices, and he knew how desperately Liz needed it.

And what if someone had come inside and discovered Liz...

It could not be in daytime. At least they made sure of that. And at night... at night Liz could handle herself. At least, he hoped so.

"Liz" he called again. "it is me, Roger. I got it!"

The door opened, and Liz walked noiselessly towards him.

"Liz" he extended the drug to her "Here it is. And I got more."

Liz set the hypodermic and injected herself. As she did, her expression eased up somehow.

"Thanks" she whispered. "it helps so much..."

Roger gulped. "Did you... er... eat anything? Caught any more rats?"

"A few." she saw Roger opening his collar and made a gesture for him to stop. "it was enough."

"Liz, it is not enough. You need this."

"No, Roger. I can only take so much from you."

"I can bring you some of the servant girls. Or Quentin. he's strong. It won't hurt him any."

"Quentin would be fine."

"Liz, I know that it is rough for you" Roger gulped "but please, don't touch Edmund nor Carolyn... Edmund is just a child. It can hurt him."

"Don't worry, Roger." traces of her imperious manner remained in her. She had been mistress of Collinwood once and she could not forget it.

"I mean, you can come to me. I can bring other people to you. There are other ways."

"Roger," Liz sighed :"are you afraid of me?"

"No." Roger lied. "I am not."

"I am your sister, Roger. We know each other. We have shared so much. How can you be afraid of me?"

"I don't know." Roger confessed "but in away I am. I know that you are Liz. I know you. I have known you for years. Yet... Yet you are not the same. But you are still my sister and I love you. I want to help you."

"I know you do. Forgive me, Roger. I got nervous in here... I am not used to hunting rats." she laughed nervously "I would rather run from them... and..." she was almost ready to tell Roger of Yolanda's visit. but something held her tongue. She could not tell anyone of that.

"And you are in pain. I know, Liz."

* * *

"She said that I can be Edmund's governess?" Vicky asked "Even if I am... like this?""

"She needs a governess. And one that she can trust. I said that I would talk to you."

Vicky nodded "It will be strange, to get back to work at Collinwood after all those years, back at my old job."

"Do you want to take it?"

"Yes." she said with determination. "I have to."

"You don't have to." he said, a bit too hotly.

"Barnabas, you have been very kind to me and I appreciate it. But I have to go out into the real world. The sooner I start working, the better for me and the baby. Now you can have a sex life without worrying about scandalizing me."

"That has not been a problem. You have been very accommodating."

"And I bet that George will be glad to see me out of here."

"George does not..." Barnabas blustered.

"He's jealous. After all, you were in love with me once."

"But that was years ago."

"I think that he seems me slinking along in a tight dress and blowing in your ear... like "come up and see me sometimes' Or "come with me to the Kasbah."

"You exaggerate.

"I know that I don't look like the traditional siren, but still George could never be sure about us."

"What happened between us is over... And it never mattered much. It was not really love.. No more than it was with Maggie."

"I know that and you know that. And maybe George knows that. But still he's afraid. If someone moved in with him, no matter how often he'd say it was all innocent, you'd be worried, too." she took his hand. "you were a great help. You got me through a bad time, and now it is time for me to stand on my own two feet."

Barnabas squeezed her hand. "I suppose that you are right. Still... still I wonder if you should go now."

"Yes. Why not? As Carolyn said, this is the ideal job in my position. It is best for you and me this way."

Barnabas knew that she was right. But still could not feel feeling rejected. She had been so dependent on him for a while, she had cried so much in his arm... and now she did not need him.

No, he reminded himself sternly. She would need him again and again. And he would need her, too. But not this way.

"All right, then. I'll call Carolyn."

"Barnabas" she said gently "It is better if I am the one who calls her."

* * *

"Sebastian left town, didn't he?" Megan commented to Angelique.

"Yes. I told him that I didn't blame him. But he did not feel guilty about it. Only about failing Roxanne. He still does not accept that it was not Roxanne who spoken to him and demanded my death. He still can't forget her. And I understand why. Roxanne was not easy to forget. And I now what it is like to want someone desperately and not be able to get him."

"Or her?"

"Or her." Angelique looked straight at Megan. "I never truly loved Sebastian, any more than he loved me. We thought we could make each other forget our memoirs and yearnings. We were wrong."

"And who is it that you yearn for? Barnabas?"

"No. Not anymore.. Funny, once he asked forgiveness for using me, for not giving me the same respect he gave "ladies",like Josette I did not want him anymore... That was what I wanted from him all the time. The acknowledgement that I was just as good as a lady, and deserved to be treated as such."

"If he had known to do it years ago, a lot of headaches would have been averted..."

"Yes. Sam Evans would not have been blinded., Joe would not have ended in Wyncliffe, Tom Jennings would not have died them.."

"Given what we know of Tom, it would not have ended up any better.." Megan said, curtly. "and you know I don't like it when you start beating yourself. It makes you vulnerable."

"I know. But still."

Megan sighed. She knew who Angelique wanted. She knew how hopeless it was. Yes, they could go to bed with each other every now and then. But then so did she with Barnabas, and that never led to anything more serious. Angelique wanted a greater commitment than was possible to her. She needed men, both for blood and for sex. And Angelique could never accept that from her...

But that did not keep Angelique from trying...

* * *

"It will be a small party for Christmas this year" Barnabas promised.

George grinned "As if I didn't know what 'small party' mans to you. Somehow you manage to invite everybody."

"No... not everybody. Just Julia and Kenneth. And Willie and Louella. Angelique, Megan, Joe, David, Frances, Buffy and Frank, Derek, the Quarleses. Maybe Maggie if she's in town with Sabrina. Carolyn with Edmund and Roger. Vicky..."

"You see, it is going to be a long list."

"I might invite Adam, but he might not want to come."

"Same with Zeb. I would like to this feud of ours to end. God knows that I did not want it."

"Yes. It is a pity...I worry about Peter, but at last Jessica has him treated by someone with experienced in those cases.."

"Yes, it is a pity... Then there are Tammy, and Iris, and Violet, and Delia... when will they be out?"

"Tammy should recover sometime next year... Iris might take longer. As for Violet and Delia... Julia is not optimistic about them."

""It was a bad situation for them, even without the whip. Does not surprise me that there is a lot to be fixed in them."

Barnabas shrugged "Julia had not asked my opinion about them, and told me to keep away from them. Does not trust me to be objective about their cases."

"Well, she might have a point. Will you invite Hallie Stokes and Oriana, too?"

"I take that you'd rather not invite Oriana."

George spread his hands and looked sheepish.

"She wanted magazine articles out of me. Several of them" he grimaced "It took me a while to realize that I mattered less than the latest story to her. Once she got that interview with Munsugan she saw no point in hanging around. I should not complain though. She told me as much at the start."

"But still it gets you."

"Yes, It does."

"How about Hallie Stokes? You don't seem too sure about her. What's the story? Sure, she was under Laura's spell, but so were Buffy and Frank, not to mention myself."

"I wonder if Hallie still remembers that she was once Maude Browning and that I strangled her after I drank her blood. Laura made her remember it. Laura is gone, but Hallie's memory isn't. She may not want to see me again."

George scratched his head. It was tough, all right. A bit unfair to Barnabas.

"By the way, what happened to Ruby Tate? Did she finally leave you alone?"

"Yes and no."

"Yes and no?"

"She came back. She is Pearl Loomis."

"Pearl? You mean Willie's baby?"

"Yes."

George whistled. "Does Willie know?"

"No. What would be the point in telling him? It will not help him in raising her. AS it is, I am going to be Uncle Barnabas to her."

"Uncle Barnabas?"

"Surely if I can't have children, I can have nephews and nieces."

"But you can have a child. That is if you come to the judge's chambers tomorrow."

"The judge's chambers? You mean..."

'Yep. You get to tell her your story, and she might approve your adoption of Urien."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Barnabas could not keep from feeling nervous in the judge's chambers. What was the magistrate going to make of a request to hold a hearing after dusk? And how would that influence the decision?

George had tried to reassure him. According to him, it should be fairly easy. But Barnabas remembered what George had told him why he could not keep Edmund. The circumstances were different with Urien, but still...

Judge Connors came in and both Barnabas and Urien rose to meet her.

She was a middle-aged woman with a twinkle in her eye and a manner about her that somehow reminded Barnabas of Julia.

She asked the preliminaries in a crisp voice which was not devoid of warmth. Barnabas answered as calmly as he could.

"And you, Mr. Yost, are you willing to go through this adoption?"

"I am, your Honor."

"Yet there is a record of your having run away from Mr. Collins once. Do you care to explain why you changed your mind?"

"Your Honor, I did not run away from him." Urien gulped once "Mr. Collins was the victim of a murder attempt. I mistakenly believed him to be dead and I was afraid I would be blamed for it, so I ran."

"And why should you be blamed for it?"

"In the past, your Honor, I supported myself as a male prostitute. And I had trouble with Barnabas, that is Mr. Collins."

"What kind of trouble?"

"We had arguments, the two of us."

"And the arguments were about?"

"I tried to tell him that it was a waste of time teaching me how to read. I knew that there was no point to it. The teachers had classified me as unteachable."

"And Mr. Collins did not believe that?"

"No, he didn't"

"And what was the outcome?"

Urien blushed slightly "I now read and write fluently. I am going through his library."

"So he was right, and you were wrong?"

"Yes."

"And those were the only arguments you had?"

"No. There were others... not so much arguments. I just would not trust Mr. Collins."

"Why didn't you trust him?"

"Because he would not take me to bed. I had grown accustomed that no one does anything for nothing. I could not understand why he bothered with me and did not ask for any kind of payment. I wondered what he was really up to, since he would not screw me."

The judge raised her eyebrows slightly to the coarse term, but that was all her reaction.

"What about you., Mr. Collins?" she asked Barnabas.

"About me?"

"Do you agree with Mr. Yost's evaluation? Or would you like to amend it?"

"While Mr. Yost has been somewhat flattering to me." Barnabas smiled "his estimate is correct."

The judge frowned "Yet I have heard different from others."

"Doctor Zebulun King?"

"Yes. I see that you are familiar with him."

"He accuses me of being homosexual and of keeping Urien as a... male concubine."

"Yes. That is his accusation. Is it true?"

"The first part of it is. But I have never slept with Urien and I don't intend to. I would never hurt him that way. He needs a father, not a john. And if Dr. King believes that I would in any way hurt a person entrusted to my care, then he does not know me at all."

"But you are homosexual."

"I am now conducting an homosexual relationship. I have conducted heterosexual relationships in the past. Yet at the same time there were women living in my house and no one accused me of hurting them. Ask Mrs. Victoria Todd. Or Louella Loomis. Or Buffy Torrance.. he preferred not to mention Amy, though what they had done had not been exploitative. "At that time I was openly sleeping with women, and no one questioned the property of the arrangement."

"I have read their statements. Also Mr. Jennings' about her sister."

"But you prefer to listen to Dr. King, now matter how many character references I can give you."

"Mr. Collins" she sighed "I can't give you a decision yet. It is evident that you care for Mr. Yost and that he trusts you. I wish that I could decide on your favor, but I can't yet. Not until I have had the chance to evaluated all the evidence."

Barnabas started to protested, then decided not to. No need to antagonize her.

* * *

Vicky grinned at Carolyn. "It is just my old room. The one your mother gave me when I first came to work for her."

"You don't like it?" Carolyn sounded a bit hurt.

"I like it. It is just that it seems like not time has passed." she sighed." but it has."

Carolyn nodded. "I know what you mean. When I think of mother. Hoe... how she died."

"It must be had for you. But at least she is no more pain."

Carolyn winced inwardly "It is so unfair." she said "she had so little chance for happiness.."

"She was like a mother to me."

Carolyn started at Vicky "You know that your are Uncle Roger's daughter, don't you?"

"Yes. I was told of it."

"Uncle Roger never acknowledged you. Never made provision for you."

Vicky shook her head "It is not that important, really."

"But you should have some sort of settlement. I will see to it."

"You don't have to."

"But I will do it."

She had to, Carolyn thought, a little ashamed. She waned to arrange a settlement for Vicky. In exchange of her making no claims on the Collins estate as Roger's daughter. And she would work out a settlement for David. Roger wows leaving all his possessions to Edmund, true, but she did not want the will contested.

She liked Vicky. She honestly wanted to help her and be her friend. And she did not want her to be Roger's heiress.

* * *

Her visitor was a surprise to Julia. Of all the people who she was sure did not need psychological help, Megan Graham was on the top of the list. But there she was.

Shrink to the vampires, that's what she turned out to be, - she told herself. - She had had Barnabas, Derek, and even Roxanne come to her. And now Miss Got-it-all-together of Collinsport.

"Do you need my help?" she asked Megan.

Megan shook her head "I come for a friend."

"A friend?" Julia guffawed "Really, Megan, I expected better of you."

"It is Angelique."

""Does he have problems?"

"Plenty. She should see you."

"Is that so?" Julia said "Well, tell me more about it."

* * *

Vicky looked around her room once more as she began to fall asleep.

She still remembered her first night at Collinwood years ago. She was excited. And a bit fearful and apprehensive, too.

Part of her wanted to run away. Collinwood was a strange place, full of secrets that could destroy her.

Part of her insisted hat he had come home at last, and that she would learn who she was.

She had been right on both counts. This was her home. And there were dark, dangerous secrets in this place.

But she was not a girl anymore, scared of her first job. She had faced the horrors within and survived. And some of the horror had turned not to be so horrible after all. And some of it worse than she could possibly imagine.

But now it would not be the same. What other secrets could there be in Collinwood?

Liz watched outside, hunger growing in her. Involuntarily she pulled up her lips, anticipating the taste of blood.

But she had to wait until Vicky fell asleep. She would not wrestle her. The pains wracking her body would not allow that. Even dematerializing and shape shifting were painful to her. Trying for hypnotic control was too much strain... Roger had promised to bring in a new maid to her, but he had not come in today, and she was hungry and in pain. And Yolanda wanted her to dig for root and what else she could find,, and so earn the release from pain that she gave...

Vicky fell asleep easily, as she was tired. Liz looked guiltily at her. In a way tit was as bad as attacking Carolyn, her own daughter... but it was easy.. and just once would not hurt Vicky.

The blood kept beating on the exposed throat, so seductively.

Only a little bit. She would not hurt Vicky. Not her brother's child. Even if she was a bastard... Vicky would not miss it.

She bent over the throat, pierced it and closed her eyes with relief as she felt the hunger pangs being satisfied with Vicky's blood.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"She did not expect Sebastian to betray her" Megan explained to Julia "but she _should_ have expected it. She should have known that Sebastian was still mourning Roxanne. Should have known that he blamed her for Roxanne's death."

"You could say that she was inviting her own betrayal." Julia said softly.

"So you saw that, too?"

"Well, after all, I am the shrink here."

"This is the second time that she's been abducted and has to be rescued. Within a year."

"For some reason she is now vulnerable."

"She was never so vulnerable in the past. Not in any apparent way. No matter what happened she always had resources of her own to pull through. You might not have liked what she did, but she could handle herself."

"And now that she's reformed, she is helpless."

"That's it. She was taught in the eighteenth century what a woman should be like. Sure, she did what she wanted, but then she was a bad girl, who did not live by the rules. She's reformed, she is a 'nice' girl, and then she remembers everything that a 'nice' girl is not supposed to do.."

"According to eighteenth century rules."

"I think that she models herself on Josette du Pres. She wanted all that Josette had, including Barnabas. You know how Barnabas finally stopped her wanting him? By apologizing to her for not treating her like a lady. He said that she was a lady and should be treated as such... Or at least that's how she understood it. So he gave her what she wanted, and she was over her infatuation with him quickly. She could at last take a good look at him and see what a poor prospect he was."

Julia could not keep herself from snickering :"A liberated woman, she is not."

"Not at all. She still wants the old-fashioned things. Roxanne said one smart thing about her. With all her powers, the best Angelique achieved was get herself a rich husband."

"And I take it, that since Barnabas is out of the picture, she is looking for a suitable male."

"No." Megan laughed "She's after me. Look Doctor,, don't get shocked. She and I have done it together before. Several times. But only on a casual basis. Now she wants me to be her husband. An old fashioned husband, at that. Her man who will protect her and treat he like a lady, rescue her when she is in danger, support her, make the decisions for her..."

"And you don't want that."

"Come on, doctor. I am not the type of the traditional wife. Nor the traditional husband. I am willing to love her on an equals basis. One thing that I don't need is an eighteenth century lady trying to be a good wife to me."

"And you think that I might help you there?"

"Yes. You are more experienced and know more about this. You'll have answer where I have none."

"Of course, you understand that Angelique has to come to me. Unless you are willing to commit her, and what you told me is not a basis for commitment, then she was to come by herself."

"But you think that you can help her?"

"Yes."

"Good. Then for once I will be the traditional husband and make a decision for her."

* * *

Carolyn sat very businesslike on the sofa, the briefcase by her legs. Whatever reason she had to come to see him, it certainly wasn't social.

Barnabas greeted her and made Urien give her a cup of tea.

"That's a fine boy you got here."

"Thank you."

"I have to hand it to you. No one knowing his record would think he'd amount to much. But I guess that you can do it. You have a way with seemingly hopeless cases."

Barnabas accepted the compliment. "It was more Urien's doing than mine."

"And how's David doing?"

"Keeps studying. Can you believe that he made the Dean's list?"

"I am glad of it." she smiled slightly "in fact it is because of him that I come."

"What about him?"

"I am prepared to pay for his college. I want to make a settlement on him. And also give you a ninety-nine year lease to this house. After that, you can make other arrangements if you still want to stay in Collinwood."

"In exchange for what?"

"I want David to sign a document saying that he will not contest Roger's will. No, better, that he renounces his inheritance in favor of Edmund."

Barnabas sighed "It just seemed too generous of you."

"I have a son. I have to think about him. I want to hand him the Collins business in one piece. And anyway, David's got no inheritance now. Roger disinherited him, and given his record of drug dealing, he could not contest the will successfully. Roger wrote it when the clinic had pronounced him cured, so there is no question of his not being of a sound mind. As for undue influence, you are not going to tell a judge that a healthy, polite, apple cheeked boy who is his greatest pal is undue influence."

"But you still think that David might win."

"I don't. I just want to save on future attorney's fees, plus court costs, not to mention headaches."

"You are afraid that Roger might want to change his mind and remember that, after all, David is his son."

"He might. Uncle Roger is not the most predictable of men. But again, he might not. Are you willing to sacrifice what I offer you now in the hope that Roger might change his mind after all? David won't thank you for it."

Barnabas nodded. He knew that Carolyn was right. In her way, she was being fair and generous.

"I can't sign for him. You'll have to contact him."

"I know. But he might be more amenable if it come from you than from me. We haven't talked to each other in years, and if the first time we meet I hand him this, he might react violently."

"True."

"I want to make another settlement on Vicky?"

"Vicky?"

"She's Roger's daughter. Illegitimate and unacknowledged."

"But still, there is no telling when Roger might get sentimental about his other child, specially if she is under the same roof."

"Right. I want to talk it over with her, determine what a fair settlement would be, and then tell me. My lawyer will draw the papers."

A trust fund for Vicky's child would be nice, Barnabas thought. And again, Carolyn was generous. Vicky's chances of inheriting were slim at best. Why not sell those long odds for a reasonable price?

"I think that she'll be reasonable about it. I will talk to her. I want to know how she's managing without me."

"Very well, thank you." Carolyn said, amused "she's not a six-year old. She's a grown woman who can make her own decisions and make her own way."

Carolyn gave him the papers to study, then closed the briefcase..

"By the way, how much of a hold do you have on Adam?"

"Next to noting. He hates me."

"That's too bad. Because..."

"Because you want the shares that Liz left him."

"Yes. He's young. He can marry again and have children who would have an interest in the business and I don't want that."

Barnabas laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"That I know what the solution is. Divorce Quentin and marry Adam."

"Are you crazy? Marry him?"

"Why not? You almost married him once."

Carolyn's face congested, and Barnabas knew that he had said too much.

"Forget it. I was just being cute. Too cute for my own good."

* * *

Hunger gnawed at her. And the familiar pain, making the hunger sharper, making it bite deeper into her.

She had been digging into the earth for roots, and rare rocks, as Yolanda had instructed her to do. Her nails were broken, her hands dirty from all the digging.

She had caught a mouse, but it had been just a few drops, a thimbleful of blood, barely enough to moisten her lips. A bird had come close, but not close enough and she could not catch it.

And she kept digging, knowing that she could not leave until she had everything that Yolanda asked her to get. Yolanda had calmed enough of her pain to allow her to do her task, but complete freedom from pain came only afterwards...

Her mind wandered as she dug. She had once been a girl, with dreams that would come true when she grew up.

She had married, had a daughter. And her dream had turned sour. Paul had never loved her, only her money. When he had gone from her life, instead of freedom, she had gone into the voluntary prison inside her own house. When that imprisonment had ended, she had been caught into being a dignified mother and dowager.

Dutiful, matronly. No more dreams for her, now.

Then freedom at last. Adam had provided that. Sure, he was little better than a gigolo, living off his wife's money. But still, it had been fun. Even if Adam had to be paid, it was still worth it. She had been through with love, but not with fun.

But it had been too late. Cancer had defeated her.

There had been one escape. One last chance to be free. Barnabas would not do it, but Derek Pearce would, for money. So she had paid him to turn her into a vampire.

And now... she had escaped death, but not pain. For that she depended on Yolanda. For that she was now digging with her bare hands and telling no one of it.

This time there was no escape. Just this slow, painstaking labor. And the hunger in her.

And the knowledge of what she had to do to satisfy it. The knowledge that she was too weak to hunt anything that would fight back. And the temptation to feed on her own daughter or her daughter's son...


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Xavier downed a glass of carrot juice. Sandy sipped on her own.

"You don't like it?" Xavier admonished her.

"I never tasked it before."

"It ahs plenty of vitamins. Specially Vitamin A. If kinds drank this instead of that soda pop junk they'd be a lot better off. Do you realize that most pop drinks have caffeine? Not just cola. Orange soda is loaded with it. Is it any wonder that children can't concentrate in school and that they are so restless?"

"But they like sodas." Sandy felt personally attacked because her children did drink sodas "I don't think that you could get them to drink this."

"You should let them try it first. They might like it. Actually, you can get kids to try a lot of things if you don't make a fuss about it. Instead of pushing it to them, you let them find out by themselves. Same as eating vegetables. The trick is undercooking them instead of overcooking. Add plenty of lemon juice. You can get them to love broccoli and Brussels sprouts."

"Brussels sprouts! Ugh!" Sandy said before thinking.

"You see, you got it overcooked as a child, all soggy, drained, and grey looking. Having it crisp and bright green is another story. Did you ever eat eggplant?"

Sandy shook her head, making a face.

"Eggplant is a delicacy. It is actually called the vegetable caviar. Again, you need to cook it right. I have plenty of recipes. Just ask me."

Sandy decided not to comment on it. Xavier was a nice fellow and the best business partner one could wish. But his eating habits were appalling. Not even Barnabas had such a weird diet.

"Business is still bad." Xavier said regretfully "I mean, we are not going broke. We manage to keep our heads above water but that's all. People are barely buying."

"They can't afford to. with the layoffs all over the country and the unemployment rate so high in the state, people don't want to spend. They might need the money tomorrow. Or the day after tomorrow. Maybe next summer things will move."

"I don't know." Xavier admitted "the situation is bad all over the country. The auto industry is in crisis. The housing industry is in crisis. And all the industries that depend on those two."

"It is bad times all over the country." Sandy said "and unemployment is bad news for people like us who are in retail but don't send essentials like food."

"Do you know something? I voted for Reagan. I was sure that I would do so well once the government regulations were taken off. But what good does it do me if people can't afford to buy from me? And I heard from my cousin in Pennsylvania. He says that since the state gets less Federal money, suddenly the community won't pay for trash collection nor sewer services. Now, you tell me, why would anyone in his right mind invest in a place without basic services? It is crazy... I have been a Republican all my life, but now, I just don't know. You think that I could sell T-shirts that said "I voted for Reagan, please kick me"?"

"We might sell quite a few."

"And save one for myself. If things don't get any better I'll wear it. Damn! I hate to tell Barnabas that he was right."

* * *

"George, I will be having a visitor... a certain visitor."

"What kind of a visitor?"

"One that I don't want you to meet."

"One.. who is it?"

Barnabas looked down. "Let's say that I've got a dog in here. I've had it for a couple of days."

George's eyes narrowed. "Of course. Him."

Barnabas evaded his eyes. "I am not saying that."

"Off the record." George took off his badge and laid it face down. "Don't tell it to the sheriff. Tell it to your lover."

"Why not take off all your uniform?"

"All of it.?"

The lovemaking was good, but George would not be distracted. When they were done, he asked point blank, "What about Nunez?"

"I am giving him a vacation, sort of. I am giving him a chance to be himself again. And I want to talk to him. I want to have an idea of when he can be expected to regain his humanity again."

George was aghast. "You mean that you are still playing God with him? What would happen if Judge Connors found out about this?"

"She won't find out."

"And you are playing God with him." George insisted.

"Maybe."

"Maybe? Is that all you can say about it? That maybe I am right?"

"I have to do it this way. I can't explain it... Maybe it was because Norma died in my arms. Because I was forced to kill her. She's got under my skin and I can't let go of her... George I need to make Nunez pay. The only choices were whether I took a brutal and senseless revenge like Norma, or whether I would, as you say, play God."

"But still..."

"George, when you have been hurt as badly as I have been, as badly as Norma was you can talk about it. . And I know how badly she was hurt. Don't forget, when I take their blood I feel their emotions... You can't possibly understand where she was coming from. I do. I wish I did not know it, but I do."

"It still seems wrong to me."

"In different circumstances it would seem wrong to me, too. But now it doesn't. I_ have _protected Nunez from the worst. I treat him fairly. And the patients of the hospital love him. There are worse fates than being made to give unconditional love."

"Yes. I know. You told me already. Still.."

"Still you have to protest it. You need to protest the way I need to do this."

"So what's going to happen?"

"You continue not knowing about it, George. I am the only one who can restore Nunez. You try to interfere and you might destroy whatever chance he has of regaining his humanity. For his sake, you must know nothing of it.."

"So it seems that I have to accept it.."

"Yes."

"But I won't ever say that I like it."

* * *

"Beth" Roger called "Come here, I want to show you something."

Beth Tignor turned. "Sir? You want me?"

"Yes. Please come with me. I need you to do a job for me. It is in one of the abandoned rooms."

"What is it?"

"It would be easier if I showed you. There are thing there that need to be sorted and cleaned, see which ones you can use..."

Beth followed him, a bit unsure. She always felt uneasy when Roger was around. After all, he had been once locked up in a padded cell. True, he acted subdued now, but you never could tell.

They went up the stairs, Roger leading the way into the darkness with his flashlight.

Beth gulped. It felt kind of scary. Maybe she should not have gone alone with Roger. Maybe she should have asked Mrs. Collins, but if Roger noticed her nervousness, he did not react to it.

There were shining points in the darkness. Like eyes. and the feeling that there was someone else in the room...

"Don't be afraid, Miss Tignor" Liz said "I will not hurt you."

Beth's scream was stifled by Roger's hand over her mouth, while he held her with his other arm.

"It will not hurt" Liz spoke softly as she put her hands on Beth's shoulders and bent over her throat.

It did not hurt much, but Beth kept struggling as Liz bit her.

Liz pulled back. Her hunger calmed down, she could turn her attention to holding mental control over the girl.

It was hard. She had little practice in this, and, as usual, the pain made hard for her to concentrate.

But she managed it. Beth's eyes became vacant. Liz touched her cheek almost affectionately. So young... she reminded her of Carolyn, years ago.

"Take her back, Roger."

"Was that enough?"

"Yes. She won't remember this until I need her again."

* * *

"Barnabas, can I ask something of you?" Alma asked him.

Barnabas grunted. He was not trying to be rude. It was all the sound he could make with his mouth busy as it was.

"I know that you are quite busy, but could you talk to Elsa? She seems to listen to you better than me. I should not have given her that camera. Now she wants to be a photographer and is now trying to get photos of U.F.O.s. I thought that with Sebastian gone she'd stop that nonsense. I mean, he was then one who started her on it. But she is still at it. I don't want her going out at night into the marsh, catching cold, and who knows what... If Davenport wants to do it, fine, it's a free country. But I don't want Elsa to catch pneumonia. Can you understand that?"

Barnabas could finally get his mouth free. He wiped out all traces of blood before he answered.

"I think I better have a talk with Elsa on the subject."

"You will?" Alma was delighted "thanks. Oh! you are an angel!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Edmund looked a lot less belligerent than he had been in the Old House. Certainly being adopted by Carolyn had been to the best, even if Barnabas did not want to admit it.

Edmund did not show any hostility towards her. His manners were a lot friendlier than they had been when she had first begun teaching him. She represented no threat to him now.

He actually was curious as to why she was so swollen up. Which had led to an impromptu Sex Ed class. Maybe she told more than Carolyn would want. On the other hand, those questions were a bit overdue for a child of Edmund's age.

Absentmindedly she scratched her neck. There was a sore spot in there...

* * *

"Peter?" Jessica insisted "Peter?"

Yolanda entered the room. "Don't push him Doctor King. Peter responds better to gentle coaxing."

Her words were polite, but her expression indicated that Jessica was trespassing.

Yolanda was being professional. Yes, she subtly patronized her. The same subtle patronizing that she was guilty of in dealing with her own patients...It was a professional deformation...

She had to remember that Yolanda was the professional. . She had had her contact Audrey Morton, who had given her a glowing evaluation. And Peter was showing improvement under her care.

Still, she could not get rid of the antipathy she felt, the more strong because it was so patently groundless.

What was it? Jealousy? Of whom? Zeb? She knew better than that. Peter? Why should that be? She had been wary of him coming to stay with them, in the first place.

Maybe she resented Yolanda, because she allowed Peter to stay with them longer, driving a wedge between her and Zeb.

It was not even Peter's fault. It was what he meant to Zeb. More ammunition to his obsession with Barnabas Collins and Sheriff Brant...

Maybe it was lucky that Yolanda was with them, because she did help Peter. And Peter needed help, not to be used as a pawn in Zeb's games.

Still, she did not trust her...

* * *

Nunez' look was one of pure hatred. "So you plan tom keep me locked her during the day?" he said defiantly as he surveyed the cell in the basement.

"It is that or sleeping pills. Or being tied up. I can't turn you back into a dog every day."

"No!" Nunez shouted. "It makes no difference. You said that I would enjoy a few days of normality. And now you are stealing the daylight hours from me."

"Sleep during the day. And I promised you that it would be within the bonds of reason. I can't have you trying to run away. And besides, you are in no position to make demands."

"Of course." Nunez looked down in mock humility "I am your prisoner, completely dependent on your goodwill."

"Yes. You are. I am glad that you finally understand what your position is. You can't bribe or coerce your way out. For your safety an well being you have to rely wholly on my own innate decency, no more, no less. And you can be glad that I am not like you."

"You judge me." Nunez said bitterly "and you aren't even human. You aren't even properly alive. You live off the blood of the living, and you still dare to judge me."

"I have a right to judge you."

"What right?"

"Right of conquest, if you will. I imprisoned you, by the right that comes from my being stronger than you are. This is a right that you certainly understated. And a right based on the proposition that a torturer is an enemy of humanity and that I am empowered to make a citizen's arrest. I can't tell you exactly what it was that you broke, what law, what compact between men, but I know it makes you less than human. I gave you the appearance of a beast, but it was you woo worked to debase the inside. It is your nature to be less than a man."

Nunez groaned. Another lecture yet. As if it was not bad enough already.

"You never dreamed that a price would be extracted from you." Barnabas continued, oblivious of Nunez's reacting. "you have good qualities, Nunez, but those are qualities meant for a faithful dog, not a responsible, reasoning human being. You chose blind loyalty over reason and gave loyalty where it was not deserved. All right, Enough of that. What is it going to be? The cell, or sleeping pills?"

Nunez looked around, still proud in his manner, still aloof,. "I'll take the cell. If I am a prisoner, I will be treated like one."

Barnabas refrained from telling him that he would not be treated like his own prisoners, and that he should be thankful for that,.

"Good. I'll see what I can do to make the cell more comfortable. I'll get you blankets, books, and plenty of food and drink. And how that the days are getting shorter, it won't be so bad."

He felt a twinge of uneasiness about it. But then, it was only kind of vacation that Nunez would get. And anyway, Nunez needed some lessons in humility, in service, in giving uncritical love... He might not be the most appropriate person to teach it, but still, someone had to do it.

* * *

Elsa read in her bed, late at night in spite of her parents' injections to turn off the light and go to sleep. She should, but the book was so absorbing! How could she stop reading? Her eyes were pulled to the next word, and the next, and the next, and the next, savoring them, devouring them...

"Turn off the light, young lady! Now!" the voice of her father came from the hallway.

"All right, daddy." She turned off the light and laid herself on the pillow.

She did not close her eyes, waiting for her parents to fall asleep so that she could turn the light back on. Nevertheless, lying there, immobile, waiting, her mind began to wander, and dream images began to form in her mind.

She began drifting into sleep without noticing it.

There was a fluttering outside the window..

She sat up.. or thought she was... "Barnabas?" she asked.

The bat kept fluttering outside.

"Well, come in." her lips formed the words, though no sound came. She was asleep, but also aware...

Someone was at her side.

"Barnabas?"

Liz looked at her in the darkness. Was she asleep? She seemed to be saying something, moving... but her eyes remained closed... she just talked in her sleep.

Liz approached her. Elsa seemed to sense that she was there, lying on the pillow, stretching out her neck...

Liz bent over her. She bared her fangs and touched the skin with them. She tried to get the feel of the vein underneath.

"Barnabas?" Elsa said again. :"I knew that you would come to me."

... It was a child. Liz felt shame. But she felt hunger too. Not pain, not yet. But if she did not finish the task that Yolanda had given her, the pain would return. She needed Yolanda. She had to feed quickly and go back to digging for Yolanda... She could not waste time looking for someone else. It had to be Elsa.

She bit into the throat. The blood flowed into her mouth. She welcomed it for the warmth that began to grow in her.

She managed to remember to pull out before it got dangerous.

Elsa's eyes were still closed, lost in her dreams "Barnabas" she whispered again.

And Liz was gone, on Yolanda's errand.

* * *

'What's wrong, Barnabas?" Willie asked "Don't tell me that it is nothing."

"I worry about Vicky. I wonder how the pregnancy is progressing. If it will be an easy delivery or... In my time, delivery complications were the main cause of death for women..."

"Well, talk to her doctor. Doctor Taft."

"You think I should? He somehow does not trust me around her."

"His experience with Derek, and with Carolyn's pregnancy might have soured him on the, er,, unusual members of the family. Burt if you ask him, he should give you some answers. But I imagine that he will tell you the same thing that I will."

"Which is?"

"Welcome to the club."

"What club?"

"The club of first time fathers who act so crazy that they drive their wives nuts."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Liz held Carolyn's hand in hers, looking fondly into her daughters' eyes.

"It is difficult for you." she said.

"I knew it mother. And I want to do it. You can keep your..." she was embarrassed to discuss the subject "your coffin in here, so that you don't have to go out if you don't want to. We will get you what you need, as we have been doing. You'll see, it will be easier now."

Liz smiled a bit sadly. it would not be all right. she had known it the moment that she had risen to find that the pain remained with her. But she had her daughter with her. Close to her, as she had not been for many years. Certainly that made it worth it.

"Yes. It will be all right." she said.

Carolyn hugged her. "I missed you so much. I wanted to tell you and I could not."

"Tell me now."

Carolyn did, her head on her mother's lap.

"I have not seen Edmund yet."

"No, you haven't"

'He's my grandson, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is."

Carolyn would not let her see Edmund. She understood why and she did not insist. They had been estranged for many years. Now they were mother and daughter again. She could not jeopardize it by seeming to threaten Carolyn's child.

* * *

Vicky supported herself on the chair to keep from falling.

"Are you all right?" Roger asked anxiously.

"Yes." Vicky nodded "I think that the kid kicked me."

"Maybe" Roger could not keep from worrying. He knew that it was hard to keep Liz supplied and that she wandered in the corridors. Had she come upon Vicky? She said that she caught rats. Or that she had learned how to attract to herself the squirrels out in the trees.

He tried to get closer to Vicky, to see if there were wounds in her throat. But with the cold weather, wearing high collars and scarves made it difficult to see...

Vicky wondered about Roger's anxiety. She had never been a favorite of his. She knew him to be her real father, but that knowledge had not changed their relationship any. He had known it for quite a while, long before she did, and had chosen to say nothing about it. And she did not need him for a father.

She caught her breath and walked away, still shaky.

Then her eyes clouded and her knees buckled. She collapsed.

Roger ran to her. And as he caught her, he pulled down her collar and saw the fresh wound.

Liz had attacked her.

He could not turn Liz in..

But Vicky was, in the end, his daughter... The child in her was his grandchild... unacknowledged as she was, she was still her daughter.

He saw the maid. Not Beth Tignor. Lucile Staszak and she was not under Liz's control.

:Do I call the doctor?" she asked, running to the phone.

Roger nodded.

No one knew about Liz. Barnabas would be blamed for it.

* * *

"I fainted, doctor." Vicky said. "Is that normal?"

"It might be." Taft was reassuring " but I'd like to check. Last time I saw you, everything seemed normal."

"Only seemed?"

"Mrs. Todd, there is n reason why you should not have a perfectly healthy baby."

"Yet I keep worrying. I wonder what could happen"

"You watch what you eat? You don't smoke? You stopped drinking alcohol? You don't overexert yourself? You keep away from caffeine?"

"Yes, yes, yes... to all of that."

"Then you should leave the worrying to me."

"It is... it is that I don't trust things to go right again. You heard about Phillip, my husband."

Taft nodded sympathetically "I will not tell you that it is all in your head. It sounds patronizing at best. You have suffered great anxiety, and anxiety can magnify the littlest thing into a threatening symptom. As of yet, I do not see why you should not have a normal pregnancy and an easy labor." he smiled "and if you let me examine if will be more reassuring than that."

There was nothing wrong with Vicky, as far as he could tell. Nerves, due to her uncertain situation. She should be all right.

Then he saw it on her throat.

"When was the last time you saw Barnabas Collins?" he asked, trying to sound calm.

"A few days ago."

He shook his head. "I want you admitted to the hospital immediately."

* * *

Dr. Vernon Taft's face was red with anger when he saw Barnabas come up the stairs.

"Why is Vicky here?" he asked nervously "Last time I asked you told me that it was all nerves... Why did you admit her? Is her baby in danger.""

"You tell me." Taft said coldly.

"What's wrong with her?"

'You don't know?" Slowly Taft pulled the cross from his pocket.

Barnabas tuned his face away. "Are you crazy? What's the matter with you?"

"I saw the fresh bite on her throat. You attacked her last time you saw her."

"You mean that there is a vampire bite on her throat?" Barnabas gasped.

"Sure. A fresh one. As if you didn't know."

"You meant that... that someone did that to Vicky? With her being pregnant?" The distress in Barnabas' voice was so apparent that Taft began to doubt that he might be the culprit.

"If you didn't, someone else did. Got any idea who it might be?"

"Not Megan. She's too sensible for that. And she goes after men. Not Derek. He's always in trouble, but not this kind."

"Unless he is under some kind of control as he was when he attacked me." Taft considered it. He had no ill feeling about Derek. He had been as much a victim as he was. Yet he was susceptible to falling under someone else's control... And Barnabas himself was susceptible to sanity lapses...

"It might be someone else. Like when Roxanne Drew attacked Maggie in 1970. Julia thought at first it was me, until she watched me with her... Let me see Vicky. You come along, and bring the cross if that makes you feel safer."

Taft grumbled, but allowed him into Vicky's room. Vicky looked pale, but still strong, and decidedly unhappy about her forced stay in the hospital. Just because her baby started kicking?

She looked up at Barnabas "Did he tell you what is wrong with me?" she asked him. "He does not tell me anything, only that I have to stay here."

Barnabas nodded "He told me." he wanted to sit by her side and take her hand, but did not want to provoke Taft. "and you have to help both of us.."

"Help? How?"

Barnabas hesitated. He did not want to alarm Vicky needlessly. Stress could only increase the danger to the baby, and it was bad enough with the mother suffering from a vampiric attack.

"He thinks that you may have had contact with something that did not agree with you, either at Collinwood or elsewhere. And that we need to trace it."

"Food poisoning?"

Taft nodded "The baby is in no danger, Mrs. Todd" he hastened to add. "But we want to be able to control what you eat and drink until we trace it."

"You remember when Roger got radiation poisoning... no, that was before you came back. Anyway, we had a tough time tracking it, but if you help us this time will be easier."

"Radiation?" She paled crossing her arms over her abdomen, protecting her baby.

'Not this time. Just tainted food. A bacterial infection that needs containing. "

Taft watched the interplay between Vicky and Barnabas. He knew about the bond between vampire and victim, Julia Hoffman had described it to him once. And he had lived it himself (and through that the had gotten to know about the way Derek thought.. which he found amusing once the scary part was over). In any case that was not the case between Vicky and Barnabas. Whoever had attacked her was still out there..

"We want to trace your movements for the past week."

Vicky nodded.

"And we think that you'd recall better if I hypnotized you. With Dr. Taft assisting me."

Vicky nodded again. "Do it. Anything to help the baby."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Barnabas felt like apologizing to Taft for failing to obtain the information out of Vicky. he knew that the should not, that if apologies were in order, Taft should be the one to apologize. Still he felt that he had failed, not much Taft as Vicky.

"So we still don't know a thing. Not even if it is male or female. Evidently he or she came to her when she was sleeping."

"Whoever it is, it must have other sources. We have to be on the lookout for wounds on the throat. The problem is telling them from the ones you or Megan make."

"Ask about the children. Neither I, nor Megan, nor Derek would touch children. But someone who does not stop at pregnant women won't stop at children, either."

* * *

Liz glided between the trees. She had to get out of Collinwood. She had seen Edmund from where she was.. and she was getting hungry.

Not her daughter's son... If only Beth had been in today. If Roger... And Vicky was in the hospital... Did they suspect her?

Vicky was Roger's child. Her niece. And she was pregnant. How could she have done it?

Small animals were not enough. She could not stick to them.

...Her hunger. Her terrible hunger... her pain. Pain and hunger... she satisfied her hunger to feel her pain. She took drugs for the pain only to realize how hungry she was. Yolanda eased the pain, made it go away. But she did nothing about the hunger...

She knew what she had become. She knew what Yolanda was doing to her. Yolanda and the other drugs she took,. But she could not stop.

She had attacked children. She had even attacked Vicky. Barnabas, even at his worst, had never done anything like that. He would be horrified at the idea of it. But what could she do? She was too frightened to attack adults. If they fought, she was too weak to subdue them. She needed Roger to hold them, as he had held Beth Tignor... she had some sort of control over Beth,, but so little...

Why couldn't she have gone to Barnabas and asked his help? Would he help her now, after what she had done to Vicky?

* * *

"The judge has not decided yet?' Barnabas wished that he did not sound so whiny, but impatience and frustration were getting hold of him.

George sighed "She is deliberating" he knew that Barnabas had a right to be impatient. In fact, he was impatient himself, but he could not keep from finding annoying Barnabas' nervousness. Why couldn't he take it easier? Why couldn't he stay in one place? Acting like this would not change the judge's decision one bit.

"I know that she is. But I want it so much!"

"Of course. I know how much this means to you."

"Not just for me. For Urien. And on top of this other problem."

"What other problem?"

"Vicky."

"Vicky?" George grinned "you are overdoing the anxious father-to-be routine,."

"Damn it! This is serious! She's been attacked by an unknown vampire, and we don't know who he or she is, and what effect it will have on the baby and..."

George got up alarmed. "A new vampire who does not scruple to attack pregnant women?"

"Yes. Doctor Taft and I just found out."

"And why didn't either of you saw fit to inform me of it?"

"I just did."

"In private. When I am out of uniform... Barnabas,. sometimes I wonder what you use for brains." he reached for his clothes. "Tell me, from the top. Then we are going to do a proper search."

* * *

"How much do you want for your shares?" Carolyn asked Adam point blank.

"You are rather direct, aren't you?" Adam asked, amused.

"There is no point in beating around the bush,, is there?"

"No, there isn't. The same way there is no reason to pretend that there is a relationship between us."

"There is a relationship between us. You are my stepfather."

"And a shareholder in your company."

Carolyn twitched her mouth in disgust. "Why did mother have to marry you? She could at last have done a decent pre-nuptial contract. Made sure you got no inheritance rights."

"Well." Adam shrugged "I guess that she was old-fashioned about it. So now you have to deal with me."

"How much do you want?"

"I do not need money. My paintings sell rather well."

"Yes. I noticed that. Not that I like them, but they seem to be a sound investment."

Adam winced at her words. He did not like it at all the way she referred to his paintings, like they had no artistic merit whatsoever, wroth only as an investment. he let it pass."

"Still there is something that you might give me that I am interested with."

"My body?"

Adam laughed. "Not at all. It is your husband, more specifically his portrait by Tate."

Now it was Carolyn who laughed. "His portrait. Why would you want it?"

"That's part of the price. No questions from you."

"What do you want it for? Is Charles Delaware Tate suddenly in fashion? Is he going to be the next rage?"

"The portrait is special."

"Oh, I guess you heard about some of its magical properties, and you think that if a portrait is magic, then it has to be good. No, it is not. Tate was a hack, which is why he hung around Petofi."

Adam winced again. Slurs against his ability as a painter he could take. Against Charles... yet he had to.

"Never mind my reasons. Can you get that portrait for me?"

"Quentin has it now."

"Not good enough. If Quentin has it, how come he is still around? Don't tell me that he stays married to you because of your winning personality and irresistible beauty."

Carolyn slapped him "Shut up, gigolo!"

Adam cradles his face. "This does not change things." he said quietly "the price is still the same. Quentin's portrait and no questions asked."

* * *

Yolanda found the tall figure blocking her way.

"Do not be afraid, Miss Overton." Barnabas said mildly "I want to talk to you and I would not want your employer to see us together. I am not one of his favorite people, as you noticed."

"I noticed." she was unsure of how to react. "I heard his say certain things about you."

"Two of them are true. I am a vampire, and I am homosexual. Which one he hates me most for is a good question. But I never threatened Peter in the way he implies. I would never do such a thing."

"Really?" she wondered what to say next. "I have been warned not to let you near Peter."

"I am a therapist in the facility where Peter was being treated. He should not have been removed from it. But I am glad that someone is taking care of it. You seem to be helping him. Still, I want you to be aware that he may need more help than you can give him."

"Do you want me fired from this job, too?"

Barnabas shook his head. "I asked Mrs. Collins not to fire you. I could not convince her that you deserved another chance. Specially since it was not your fault that Nicholas and Zachary used you. I know that you think that you cannot trust me. But, believe it, Miss Overton, I wish you well."

Yolanda grumbled something that could be interpreted as a reluctant acknowledgement of Barnabas' good intentions.

"But this is not what I wanted to talk to you. Have you seen any kind of wounds in Peter that look like a vampire bite?"

"What is this? You said you would not hurt him."

"It is someone else. We don't know who it might be, now where he or she might be now. We suspect that he or she is attacking children and I wanted you to be aware of it. In Peter's state, the kind of behavior associated with a vampire attack might not be noticed. I want to watch him closely, Miss Overton, and if you find anything, contact the sheriff at once."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Nunez was still awake when he went down to the cell. He was reading avidly. Barnabas could understand why. In his dog form he had little opportunity for reading. Actually, part of the spell included a clouding of the faculties involved in reading and writing.

He wondered at first whether to interrupt him or not. But he was irritated and frustrated because of what had happened to Vicky and he had to take it out on somebody. There were a few thing that Nunez needed to hear, anyway.

He cleared his throat to announce his presence. Nunez heard but did not lift his eyes from the book.

"Nunez" Barnabas said.

Nunez kept reading, a slight shrug his only answer.

"Nunez" Barnabas insisted.

Nunez still did not react.

Needing to draw a response from him, Barnabas dealt him a low blow.

"Comet" he said. "Good dog. It is time to go home."

\Nunez dropped the book and turned. "You can't not now. You promised me more time than this! You said that I had at least one more week!"

Barnabas almost spoke to reassure him, but did not. He wondered if the game that he was about to play with Nunez could be called sadistic. Maybe it was. But not pointless. He had failed to reach Nunez before And he had to reach him. He could not keep him a dog forever. But he could not change him back until Nunez had learned the true worth of humanity.

So he looked on, impassible, as Nunez begged for a few more days of humanity.

"Don't do it now, so close to Christmas!" Nunez continued "What will it cost you to give me a few more days?"

"Nunez" Barnabas spoke severely "you forget that you are my prisoner, as you yourself said. Totally dependent on my will. If I make you promises I am free to keep them or not as I see fit. You understand that?"

Nunez stared.

"You understand that?" Barnabas prodded, feeling unsure of himself.

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, you are right."

"The answer is Yes, Sir. You understand that?"

"Yes. Sir."

"Good. Well, if you stand in the middle of your cell for five minutes without moving I will let you have the extra time. Understood?"

Anger and dejection were in Nunez' face.

"Understood?"

"Yes... Sir."

"Well, what do you choose?

"I will stand in the middle of my cell... Sir."

"Good. You learn quick enough."

There were the beginnings of tears in Nunez' eyes. For the first time he tasted humiliation and powerlessness. For the first time he understood that such things could happen to him.

Barnabas timed him with his watch. His face was hard. He r4membered Maggie and what he had done to her. He knew that it would take very little to do the same to Nunez.

But it was different with Nunez.

Finally the minute hand reached its goal. "You did that well." he said to Nunez "You have won yourself a reprieve. You can keep on reading, Comet."

* * *

Yolanda kept herself composed, trying to keep her thoughts in order. She had lost Liz, no matter what plans she might have had for her. The vampire that was attacking children _was_ Liz. They were looking for her, and they would find her.

Liz had not been of much use to her. She was too weak for anything but some digging.. and she had not found much that way. But as an experiment it had served well enough. She had learned something about controlling a vampire. If Liz had been strong and able to get around, she would have been a formidable weapon against Angelique. Next vampire she got hold of, it would be different...

Maybe she should try her luck with Derek Pearce.

What worried her was that Liz might tell them how she had spent her time and the kind of tasks that Miss Overton gave her.

She had control of Liz's mind still. But you never knew when you could betray yourself without meaning to.

Forgetfulness for Liz could be arranged. if only she could remember how it was done. Had Judah instructed her about it? He must have, at some time. Whether she would use the right spell for it...

No, she would do it right. Judah had prepared her well, as his priestess. And, after all, she had achieved a lot since first coming to Collinwood.

Her powers might not be strong enough to face and defeat Angelique on her own. but soon she would be able to. She needed time and practice. And, most important, secrecy and a power source. She could not depend forever on the residual power that Judah had left her with.

And anyway, Angelique was slipping. She was going to Julia Hoffman for counseling. The great Angelique Bouchard going to a head shirker? That was not someone she need fear anymore.

But first things first. Make Liz forget anything about Yolanda Overton.

* * *

Megan shook her head, amused at Angelique. "It won't kill you, you know, and Julia wants to help you."

Angelique still looked sore. "I do not like how you forced me into it."

"It is helping you, isn't it?'

"There was nothing wrong with me. Then you had to bite me and make me go to Julia."

"Baby, I know how this sounds. It was for your own good. If it helps you to understand how it makes you vulnerable to people like Tom Jennings or Yolanda Overton, it is worth it."

"I was taken by surprise. It could have happened to you, too."

"But it didn't. It happened to you. Keep going to Julia, give it a try."

* * *

"Well, Princess" Willie lifted Pearl up "We are going to the carnival."

"Isn't she a bit too little for it?" Louella asked, a bit worried.

"You are never too young or too old for the carnival. We are going to keep away from the big wheel or other scary stuff. But there's a lot of other fun to be had. The cotton candy, or the games, or the clowns..."

Louella grinned "You are the one who cannot keep away from the carnival, it seems."

"Well." Willie's face got a bit red. "I always liked carnivals. When I was a kid it was one of the things I liked. I never had as much money as I wanted, Nor as much fun as I wanted. I was going to run away with one of them."

"And did you?"

"Yes. And I got a job with one that had an elephant."

"They had an elephant?"

"Yes. And I had to follow it with a broom. After that I got to se "Dumbo". Brr... baby, do you know what a flying elephant means?"

Louella shook her head. "On no, not that.""

"Oh, yes, baby. Be grateful that elephants can't fly. Or horses either. Pigeons are bad enough."

"You think that they have elephants in this carnival?'

"No, but they'll probably have ponies." he lifted Pearl at eye level. "You like ponies, Princess?"

"Po..nee.. po..nee." Pearl managed to say, happy to see their smiles.

"You see, she wants to see then ponies."

"Well," Louella said. "you win."

Then went out, and got to the van.

"Hey, did you see that?" Willie pointed to the sky.

"See what?"

"I think hat I just saw an U.F.O..."

* * *

They had the information about the children. To Barnabas' horror there were several of them, including Elsa Quarles. They did not seem harmed, but still the idea of it sickened him.

Interrogating them proved to be a blind alley. As with Vicky, they must have been asleep at the time. Still then went on.

Elsa told them more than that. She told them it had been Barnabas.

"I knew it was you. Even if you didn't say a word. You did not want me to turn on the light, but still I knew who it was."

"It wasn't me, Elsa." Barnabas felt himself become sicker and sicker.

"I know it was you!"

"Did you touch me?"

"I put my arms around you. Don't you remember? You let me know that I was old enough for you, and that instead of mama it would be me from now on."

Barnabas got up and moved away.

"I can't understand it." he said to Taft and to Alma "I never..."

Alma nodded with understanding. "I know it wasn't you. Elsa has this thing about you. She probably convinced herself that it was you doing it, because he wanted you to be."

Taft cleared his throat to make them turn his attention to himself. "Well, I think that we got an M.O. for whoever is doing it." he said. "He or she takes good care of not being seen. Has a need to hide. Since you, Megan, and Derek have gone public, it must be someone new."

"We guessed as much." George growled.

"He attacks those that are sleeping. Children. This indicates fear. It is afraid. Sleeping people are not likely to put up a fight."

"We got a witness." George pointed at Elsa."

"But you heard her. She insists it was me."

"We can ask Julia to find out what the real story is.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Julia lit a cigarette.

"You shouldn't do that." Barnabas admonished her.

Julia lifted her eyebrows and looked at him glacially "I give the orders in here, you know that."

"Still, it would be better if you didn't"

"Maybe. But this is my clinic. This is my life. I will appreciate if you didn't try to interfere."

Barnabas started to protest, then gave up. Julia was in a belligerent mood that had noting to do with her desire to smoke.

She had been probably raking over some old bitterness and was trying to solve it this way.

He guessed what it was. He had stopped feeling guilty about it, but also knew that he would pay for it again and again. Where had that ridiculous belief came from that bad memories go away by themselves if you act as if they did not exist?

"I need your help, Julia."

"Help? her tone was mocking "you need my help again?"

She was going to be this way. Well, he knew that there would be times like this. Elsa could wait a bit longer until he settled this.

"Tammy" Julia said suddenly :"is that what you want to know? She's making good progress. She actually asked to see you. But don't hold your breath for her calling you daddy."

"I can understand her rejecting me." he said quietly "I _was_ a slave trader, even if I didn't like to think of myself that way. Men like Simon Garth worked for my family, that means for me. They did not take orders from me, but they would given time... At least I was spared that."

"You always were a stinker, weren't you?"

The coldness in her voice hurt him. There had been no undertone of affection in her words. Maybe there was more to Julia' mood than an old grievance.

"What is it? What is wrong?"

"Wrong? There is nothing wrong. Don't you know that?"

She dared him to question her further. He dared to do it.

"Is there anything that I can do?"

Julia ground her teeth. "You can't. That's the trouble."

"At least I can listen to it."

She looked at him up and down with the kind of look that send shivers up his spine. "You are a glutton for punishment, you know that?"

Barnabas smiled "So it is something that I did, after all."

"What else? You wounded me pretty badly, you realize.."

"I do. I wish that I could take that away as easily as I inflicted it."

"If wishes were horses... I don't even have to right to complain. You are doing all you can. The trouble is that at this moment it is not enough."

"I know that it isn't. Still, I want to try."

"Yes. You are trying. Very trying."

Barnabas smiled at this. "Yes, I am, Julia. Don't expect things to get right all of a sudden. It didn't for me. I still get repercussions myself."

"I am sorry" Julia said brusquely "I should not bring it up with you again. There is no point to it."

"Don't be ashamed. You have these feelings that you never dealt with properly. And I am the one you should take it on."

She smiled wistfully "You know, it was lucky for you that you never fell in love with me."

"Why? Would you have been such a bad catch?"

"I had planned to reject you the moment you declared your love to me. I wanted to hear that you loved me, that you needed me, that you could not conceive life without me. Then I would tell you that I never wanted to see you again. I had rehearsed the words that I was going to say to you."

It did not shock Barnabas to hear this. He half suspected it. And he could not condemn her. What he had done himself... What he had done to Nunez recently, taking out his frustrations on him, taking advantage of the temptation that a helpless man represented. He could not glibly say that it was treatment, like the one he gave his patients, nor that it was strict justice. He recognized the glee that had filled him and it shamed him. It was a dark, filthy feeling that he recognized, even if he tried to tell himself that he didn't.

Julia had won the right to play those games with him.

"Would you have meant those words?"

"At the moment I said them, yes. Later I might have second thoughts. I would have missed you, but you would have never known it." her eyes became misty. "I dreamed of you coming for me, banging at my door, begging me to come back. It'd be like in the movie with Montgomery Clift and Olivia de Havilland" 'The Heiress'"/

"I can see that it would be a nice daydream."

"I would have done it, really."

"I don't doubt it. You are strong minded.."

"The Iron Lady? Yes. I earned the nickname, didn't I? I wish that I had learned sooner to unwind."

Barnabas caressed her temples "My poor Julia" he said affectionately.

"It is not really your fault. I made a beginner's mistake. I lost control of the situation, and we are taught never to let that happen. I was so confident that it could not happen to me. After all, I had years of experience. I headed my own clinic. I could manage anything. And I am still kicking myself for my stupidity " she laughed "I had the same problem with pride that you did. You would not admit to having been mentally ill. I would not admit to stupidity. So what else was there, but a guilt trip? Pride is a very dangerous thing, Barnabas."

"Yes. It is."

"Well" she shrugged "It is over, now. What was the problem you came to see me about?"

* * *

It was not easy to get Elsa to cooperate with them. Not that she was unwilling, but that her conviction that her nightly visitor was Barnabas did not waver.

It was a tricky business, to extract information of an hypnotized subject while avoiding suggesting the "right" answers. Yet Julia knew how to do it.

They had got her describing her attack. The darkness, the silence, the weight on Elsa's body, the pricking at her throat.

Then other memories came. A perfume. Then something about the pressure on Elsa's body. Something that felt like mama...

"Like when your mother embraces you?" Julia asked.

"Yes."

"Like your father?"

"No... not like daddy at all."

"Like your aunt?"

"Yes."

"Like your uncle?"

"No."

Julia bent down and embraced her "Like this?"

"Yes. Like this."

Julia gestured to Barnabas, who in turn embraced Elsa.

"Like this?"

"No... not like this."

"Well," Julia gestured to Barnabas to get up. "What more can you tell us about her? You touched her, didn't you?"

Barnabas looked at Julia dumbfounded as Elsa described what she had gathered of the woman who had attacked her and other children.

"How did you do it?" He asked her.

She shrugged "It was simple. She felt women's breasts pressing against her. She is becoming aware of it now. Once she did, it is easy for her to see the woman again."

Unhappily, what Elsa gave them was not enough. True, Barnabas had been cleared of suspicion, and they knew for sure that it was a woman they were looking for.

"But still we don't know where to look" Barnabas said with discouragement.

"It is a start."

"Yes, it is... But I can't keep from worrying about Vicky. Dr. Taft assured me that neither her nor the baby are in immediate danger. But I keep thinking of the long term effects. No one knows what happens to the unborn child when a pregnant woman is attacked. We don't know what is passed to the fetus in the bloodstream, and whether one episode can do enough damage... What would happen if the baby was born a vampire? I mean, could that happen? And what it would be like for the baby?... And if it happens to Vicky's baby...

"We just have to keep looking, that's it."

"I keep thinking of the one who did this. Maybe she needs help... maybe she can be helped. But I think of Vicky's baby and I want to kill her."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

He wondered why Carolyn had invited him to this private party. No, not why she would want him around, but why he had the feeling that the pleasure of his company was not the whole story.

Urien had been invited too. Carolyn, like everybody else, knew that the boy, no matter what the judge's ruling turned out to be, was Barnabas' son.

Carolyn saw him and moved to his side. "You like this party?" she asked, cordially enough.

There was a time when her cordiality would have made him wince for the malice underneath it. Now... now there was something underneath, too. Anxiety? Over what?

"Yes. It is a nice party." he grinned lopsidedly "I am out of the habitude of going to other people's parties."

"Well, a change will do you good."

"Yes, it is good." he admitted.

She giggled, a bit uncomfortably. "I was about to ask you if you wanted something, but..."

"I already had a bite, thank you."

She grinned and played with her hair. "I wish that Vicky was with us." she said. I wonder why the doctor says she has to stay at the hospital. Exhaustion, they tell me, but certainly I have not been working _her_ that hard.

Something about the way she said this made Barnabas tense up. Carolyn wanted to know about Vicky, but was fishing for information instead of asking outright.

Did Carolyn know what had happened to Vicky? Did she suspect?

She looked anxiously at him, then, as if she noticed his interest, she giggled again.

"Oh, I imagine that I should be talking to Taft. But he is not comfortable talking to me. I don't blame him for what Derek forced him to do. I don't blame Derek either.. but Taft thinks that I do blame him and he is wary around me.

"I imagine that that's what he feels. It was a tough ting that Nicholas forced on all of you. You do remind each other of that."

He could sense the easing of the tension in her. But only a little. There was tension in her... If only he could figure out what it was about.

"Anyway, I am glad that you and I have signed a peace treaty." she said.

"Yes. And not a moment too soon." he put his hand to her cheek :"Carolyn, I always thought of you like a daughter. After I stopped being a raving lunatic, I mean. And even then... you are special to me."

"I know that. I guess I always knew it. Even when I was angry with you... I was angry, and it was easy to get under your skin... But I am glad that wee can be friends again."

"It must be good too that you and your mother could be so close again. I know how much Liz wanted it.

Carolyn tensed up again, then made herself relax.

"If I had not been so stubborn about it, I would not have lost all these years."

"I told my mother that I loved her." Barnabas said dreamily "She died in my arms. But that does not make it easier. She died because of what I had become. She could not face it. She loved me too much to bear that knowledge. There are times when I wish that I could see her again, tell her that I am all right, that she need not worry... but maybe that would cause her more pain, since I am not free of the curse. I have grown stronger with the years, but it would still be painful to her." he saw that her tension did not abate, as if she expected his words to have a hidden meaning. "And there are times when I wish I could talk to Jeremiah. things that I could not tell him then. There are time when I miss him terribly. I miss all of them. I wonder if they somehow know what became of me."

Carolyn let him talk, wondering if he was leading up to something, or just meandering as he often did.

"Did you ever see Sarah again?"

"In a way. I had to let her go. But before I did, she and I were close again. She was more of my daughter than my sister."

"I know she was."

He shook his head, wistfully "But listen to me, always talking about myself. When you want to tell me of your problem."

"Problem? I have no problem. Nothing that you can help, anyway."

"I thought that you wanted to tell me about it."

"Some legal issues. I am negotiating with Adam, and he wants to drive a hard bargain. Well, he will see reason. How about you? How are George and you doing?"

"Me an George?' Now it was Barnabas' turn to tense up.

"Oh, I know that you two are lovers."

Barnabas stared at her. "How do you know?"

"I always suspected George. A bachelor with no interest in women that I could see. And the way he used to look at you. Now he looks at you in a different way. Like he got what he wanted."

"Carolyn" he spoke softly "does anyone else knows of this?"

"None from me."

"I would not like it to get out. Not for me, for him. He has to run for reelection to keep his job. If this was a public knowledge it could mean the end of his career, and that would be a shame."

"I agree. He's been a good sheriff, even if he and I have had several clashes."

"Yes. He's good at it. And God knows that Collinsport needs someone like him, somebody who can go from handling abusive drunks in the Blue Whale, to earth shattering crisis, and back to handling sheriff's auctions."

"Yes. Anyone else would have gone cuckoo with the kind of stuff that George puts up with. I take it that you get to help him in his job, every now and then."

"Not really. When he wants that kind of help he asks Megan. He and Megan seem to think that I am too incompetent at that kind of thing"

"So you are not helping him now." And this time Carolyn's tension increased.

Barnabas shook his head. "Whatever he is doing, he thinks that he can do it better without my help."

It was a lie, but it was curious to see how Carolyn's tension eased with these words..

Carolyn was fishing for information. And at the same time, was afraid of betraying herself...

Did Carolyn know what caused Vicky's sickness? Did she know the person responsible? Was she covering up for her?

He looked at her throat. But there was no wound that that he could see Well, there was the old one that he had caused when he needed it to handle Simon Garth. But that was almost gone by now. No fresh wounds, not sense of her being under the control of a vampire..

Yet she knew something about it.

Beth Tignor was passing canapés. She moved towards him, showing him her tray. She must be confused, since she asked him if she wanted any. And in her throat there were scars...

He did not touch Collinwood servants ever since Carolyn started her feud with her. Less headaches that way. Megan preferred men. Derek... Derek would not bite people unless he was paid to do it...

Maybe Beth could tell them how to find the vampire. He would have George picked her up for jaywalking, or driving without a license, or anything that would allow Julia to interrogate her...

* * *

Julia rubbed her eyes. Why couldn't she have told Barnabas about Richard? Then, why hadn't she told Kenneth, either? And why had she gotten Richard's letter, all of a sudden?

Richard. Her cousin Richard Zimmerman, who had dropped out of her life when she was in her second year in Medical School, telling her that it was safer that way. The kind of business he was involved in was quite lethal.

She had put it somehow behind her, had resigned herself not to see Richard again. Not to see again her first love.

Now he was back. He had loved her in away, she realized now, but had never acted on it.

Richard had been more than her love. Had been father, brother, uncle... he had been an entire family to her when she was growing up.

She ran a hand through her hair, all too aware of the gray sprinkling it. She had been such a young girl, then...

"Julia? Kenneth stuck his head out of the bathroom, the toothbrush still in his mouth. "have you seen... say, is anything the matter?"

"Just... just a letter from a relative."

"A relative?" Kenneth said with surprise "I thought you had no family."

"I have Richard. He raised me. He was all the family I had for years. I told you that my family was killed by the Nazis. Richard and I were the only ones who escaped. My parents managed to smuggle me out, hidden among peasants. Richard found me after the war and raised me while working for Israeli intelligence."

"You never spoke of him."

"No. For several reasons. He brought me to the States one day, and left, saying that he was involved in something too dangerous for me to be close to it... He visited me a couple of times in Medical school, but left as abruptly as he came."

"Well, if he was working for Mossad, I can understand it being dangerous."

"I was in love with him."

"Why didn't you mention him before?"

"I thought I would never see him again. And then you were very skeptical about the supernatural when I first met you... You see, Barnabas was not the first vampire I was involved with."

"You mean that Richard.."

"Yes. Richard was the first."

* * *

They had Beth Tignor arrested for driving without a license. Trumped up. It did not matter, she was in custody and Julia was getting information out of her.

"Let us hope we get more out of her than we did out of Elsa" George said "No, I don't mean to complain. It is just that we need a witness who saw this vampire face to face."

Deputy Hammell nodded "Well, she might have been asleep when she was attacked too."

"Yes... I am thinking what Barnabas said about Carolyn hiding something. I might be off base, and we cannot arrest someone as prominent as her on suspicion. But we have to consider that she is involved."

"I checked all the recent arrivals in town."

"And?"

"Two possibilities, that got scratched out when I saw them at daytime. And a third one who looked promising until we found out that the vampire is female... But turns out that he is wanted on a counterfeiting charge, so it is not a total loss."

"Good. Ship him to where they are looking for them, and they will be grateful"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Julia kept working at Beth. She could not hope to defeat whoever was in control of Beth's mind. Even if she succeeded, it could well be at the cost of Beth's sanity. But she could get around it. Beth would deny a direct question, but she could not adjust her answer to questions that did not touch directly on the subject, or which seemed unrelated.

It was a fact that you could not order a hypnotized subject to murder anyone. But you could convince him that he was playing a joke on the victim, spraying him with a water pistol, and substituting a real gun at the last moment...

So she got Beth talking, waiting for the moment she said too much. Let her talk about what being a maid in Collinwood was like. A long recital of how demanding Carolyn was, or how Quentin could not let a pretty girl pass by without making passes at her. About Edmund, basically a nice kid. And about how weird Roger was...

Beth tensed up when she said Roger's name. Shook her head, trying to deny.

That was enough for Julia and George.

"Pick up Roger" George instructed his deputy. "He knows who the vampire is. And I have a suspicion I know who it is, myself."

* * *

Roger tried to evade the questions they threw at him. He denied having ever been bitten, and then said that it had been Megan. Too bad that Megan was out of town, and the wound was too fresh for that.

Roger wanted to shield the woman, and he was not forced into it, like Beth was. There was a genuine desire in him to protect her.

"Why do you protect her?' George asked "

"Protect who? Megan? She does not need protection."

George looked at him hard. "You know who I mean."

"She's no danger... she is scared..."

"That's not Megan. Who is she?"

"Nobody! No one!"

George took Barnabas to the side.

"I hate saying it, but it is Liz. The only person that Roger and Carolyn will shield willingly."

"She died of cancer."

"And she hated to die when there were things she wanted to do... Barnabas, did Megan ever tell you about vampires with cancer?"

"No."

"She told me. The cancer does not stop growing. It does not stop feeding on the host. It does not stop hurting. "

"So Liz."

"Liz is still being eaten alive by the cancer. It is as immortal as she is."

"Is there a way out?"

"Only death. Megan ran across one of them. He begged her to kill him to end his pain. And she did."

"And we may have to do the same for Liz."

* * *

Roger still fought. They had been forced to handcuff him. Barnabas tried to calm him with little success.

"Roger, we don't want to hurt Liz, only help her."

"No. You want to kill her. As you tried to kill Megan years ago."

"It is different now, Roger. I care about Liz."

"How can you? She is not your sister."

"I still care about her. I can get her painkillers better than you can. I can arrange so that she does not need to attack children. I can get supplies. She need not go out in the cold. We can make things right for her."

Grimly, Barnabas realized that noting would be all right again for Liz. Only pain. Still, all they could do, they would.\

All his instincts told him ht the sooner it ended for Liz the better. But she and Carolyn might need some time together. They could offer her drugs, which would become less and less effective. And in the end, a silver bullet.

He would do it himself, when the moment came. When Liz asked him to... And she would ask him to...

Then there was Vicky and the baby. It might be better if it was done before it was born...

One thing at a time. First they had to find Liz. There were choices that would tear you apart, no matter what you chose. And this was one of them.

"I will not help you catch her." Roger said, stubbornly.

"Then we'll do it without your help" George said. "We will use Beth."

* * *

Beth was fully awake now. And fearful. But she would cooperate, and that was enough. To be on the safe side, George had handcuffed her wrist to his own.

Carolyn was with them, pale and tear-streaked. What where they going to do to her mother? She demanded to come with them.

"You will try to warn her." George said. "We cannot have that."

Carolyn said nothing.

"Carolyn" Barnabas put his hand on her arm. "We do not want to hurt Liz."

"But you will, if you have to. And you will have to."

"At this moment, the worst that can happen to her is what she is enduring right now."

She did not answer that. She knew that he was right. But she could not accept it.

"Your mother is in terrible pain." George said "you can't want her to stay this way."

"I want to be given time with her." Carolyn finally said "I will make sure that she hurts no one else. She can have my blood and..."

"We'll try to give the time to both of you. But you must understand our position. If you come with us, will you promise not to try to warn her?"

Carolyn shook her head. "I...I cannot. But I want to be with you. I want to make sure that you don't kill her."

"We won't. Word of honor" Barnabas said.

"Oh, Barnabas, why this? How did it happen? Who could have done this to her?"

"It wasn't me. I don't think Megan would do it. As for Derek, why should he?"

"For money." George said behind them. "Specially if neither he nor Liz knew what cancer could do. Mrs. Collins, since you will not give us your word to keep silent, and still want to come, you leave me no alternative. You can make a stink afterwards, and try to get my badge, I will take the risk." He turned to his deputy "Geoffrey, gag Mrs. Collins. I am sorry, Mrs. Collins, but this is how it has to be. I hope that if you want to sue me afterwards you leave Deputy Hammell out of it."

Carolyn shook her head. She would not sue unless her mother was hurt.

"Well, let's go."

George let Beth lead them to the place where Liz could be found.

"You'll have to leave me alone here. She won't approach if you are here."

"We understand that." George unlocked the cuff from his own wrist, but instead of releasing Beth, he used the now empty cuff to attach her to a pipe.

"You don't have to do this." Beth protested.

"She still has control of your mind. She can make you run away."

"You will not hurt her?" Beth's concern was sincere. In a way, too, she cared for Liz.

"No. We won't"

"I do not want her hurt. She was always kind to me. And then, she was always there, Mrs. Stoddard, when I was growing up. We all knew her."

George remembered it too. Liz had always been there when he had been growing up. He knew how she had seemed to be when he was a boy. The woman who owned the town, along with her brother, Roger. The deserted wife who would not leave Collinwood. The possessive, doting mother what sometimes invited town children to come play with Carolyn. He remembered each and every story that had gone around about her. Decadent, mysterious, with a sickly glamour. The Collinses _were_ weird, man. And Mrs. Stoddard was real weird. And a living institution in town.

Then he turned and saw Carolyn's tear streaked face as she was held by Deputy Hammell. For Carolyn, Liz had never been an institution. She was her mother. She loved her, she rebelled against her, she depended on her, she resented her dependence on her... So much the two of them had gone through together...

Beth stood patiently, even if her hand tugged and tested the handcuff that anchored her down.

Like a sheep or a goat tethered as bait for a tiger.

And they had to wait.

Then the wait was over. There was a rustling and then Liz was there, her face showing too much the effects of pain.

Something twisted inside Barnabas when he saw her. Liz had always reminded him of Naomi, and the look in her eyes was too much the look in Naomi's eyes after she had drunk the poison.

"Liz" he said, moving forward.

Liz moved away from Beth, showing fear this time.

"Don't go away, Liz" Barnabas pleaded. "I can help you."

"Help me? How can you?"

"I can still get you painkillers, as I did before."

Carolyn fought to get free of Deputy Hammell's hands. George wondered whether to let her go free or not. Would she plead with Liz? or would she shout at her to get away?

He clutched at the gun with silver bullets in his pocket. It seemed useless now. They had come prepared for a killer, a berserk monster. But not for a desperate woman wracked by pain. They should have brought morphine, instead.

He moved to Carolyn. "If I release you, will you plead with her to stay with us? Will you ask her to let us help her?"

Carolyn nodded.

"Release her, Geoffrey"

Carolyn ran to her mother "Mother, stay. Please stay, Don't leave me again."

Liz looked at her daughter while Beth pressed herself against the wall.

"Listen to them, mother. They are right. They can make things easier for you. The way we have been doing, but we would not have to hide. Please, mother."

Liz' face was calm "If you ask me, Carolyn, I will stay."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"You are still in pain, aren't you?" Barnabas asked her gently.

Liz nodded. "I am. Lord, I have so little control. When the pain is over me I can't think of anything except how much I want it gone. The I don't feed until the hunger is too great." she tugged Barnabas' sleeve. "I know how you feel about attacking children. And Vicky... Vicky is my niece and she's pregnant. I should have never touched her, yet I did."

"Why didn't you come to me for help?'

"And let you see me like this? It was bad enough that Carolyn and Roger could see what I had become. I was proud, too proud... I had nothing , but I still had my pride."

'We would have helped you."

"I know that there is only one way you can help me now" A spasm shook her. "With a stake. But not yet."

"We understand that. We won't do it until you ask for it."

"I didn't know that I would still hurt. I didn't know that it would get worse. I thought that I'd be like your are. Pearce did not tell me that it would be like this."

"Pearce? He did this to you?"

Liz nodded "I paid him to do it."

"Did he offer?""

"No. I asked him to. I heard that he'd do anything for money."

Barnabas frowned "We will make things better for you, Liz. As much as we can. You won't have to hide. I will get you what you need."

Carolyn moved to her mother's side. "And we can be together, mother."

"Carolyn, don't cry." Liz said softly.

"I love you, mother. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't. Not yet." Liz embraced her tightly "It is all right, baby. Don't cry. It is all right."

Barnabas left them alone. He went downstairs where George was waiting for him.

George shook his head. "You know what will have to be done, sooner or later."

"I do."

"Liz is in terrible pain. She knows it herself that there is not cure and no help for her. Megan told me enough."

"Derek" Barnabas said darkly " he probably knew what would happen and he did not care. If he wanted her money so much, why didn't he just steal it?" Barnabas' hands tightened "I am going to kill him for this."

"He probably didn't know."

"He must have known! If Megan knows of it, he doest too."

Upstairs, Liz held Carolyn tightly "Maybe it is for the best. We could not go on as we had been doing."

Carolyn didn't answer. This acceptance from her mother meant that soon would be another acceptance... and she was not ready for it.

Liz pulled out of the embrace.

"What's wrong?" Carolyn asked.

"I am hungry and I can't"

"Why not, mother? Please, let me help you."

"You are my daughter. I explained it to you before."

"But it is all right. Let me help you this way." Carolyn put her hand on Liz's shoulders. "please take it. Let me do this for you."

Liz pulled back her lips. She had done this often enough/, but never to Carolyn. Yet how could she deny her this much? Soon they would have to say goodbye. Let her have this at least.

Downstairs George was ready to leave.

"Carolyn will take care of her. But does she understand what is going to happen?"

"She understands. Both of them understand. But they need time together."

"Liz is in pain." George pointed out again.

"She does not want to end it yet. When she does, I will do it myself."

"You will?""

"I once trusted my father to do the same for me. Instead he..." Barnabas' voice became low, filled with hate, as it always did when he talked about his father. "that will not happen to Liz if I can help it. I have silver bullets. The moment when Liz says that she wants out of it I'll put them in my gun and... and do what must be done. But not before."

"All right. But the longer it takes, the longer she'll hurt. And there is nothing for her now."

"There is Carolyn. They need each other."

"I know. I know..."

"But Derek better not show his face around me or I'll tear him limb from limb. Don't tell me that he didn't know. Somebody should teach him a lesson."

"I will give him a lecture on it."

"Lecture! He should have both his arms broken, and I will do that myself. How can anyone be so greedy, so stupid, so. so.. irresponsible?"

* * *

"You mean that the cancer did not stop growing?" Derek was sick as George described what had happened to Liz.

"No. It did not. She's in as much pain as she was before. Worse, even. And it will get worse."

"But why? Why should it...? It makes not sense."

"You didn't know that it would come out this way?' George asked softly.

"How could I?... I never knew. I never heard of anything like this... Oh, God."

George believed Derek. He was greedy and given to wild schemes, but he would never purposefully hurt anyone. He had been sick because of what Nicholas had once forced him to do. He would not knowingly condemn Liz to what she was now undergoing.

"I didn't know." Derek repeated.

"I believe you."

"You do?' There was no surprise, no satisfaction in his words.

"It is not your style to do something like this." he put his hand on Derek's shoulder. "God knows that you have been a trial to me, but you'd never do anything like this knowingly."

"She asked me to do it She said that she'd pay me well if I made her as I was. She looked me up. She called me on the phone... I did not seek her out... it seemed an easy way to make money. It made her happy... and it turned out like this."

George wondered when Derek would develop some common sense. He eventually would, if he lived that long. But it would not happen in the foreseeable future. Derek was now weeping noisily. George let him have a handkerchief and waited until he was calm again.

"Just a bit of advice. Keep away from Barnabas. He's very angry with you, and he might get violent."

"I want to explain it to him."

"You'll do nothing of the sort. He's feeling murderous towards you. Just wait until I have calmed him down. Then, if you want, I can arrange for you to meet him for explanations."

"Why wait? Why not explain right now?"

It was Barnabas, appearing between them without warning.

Derek flinched at the anger and raw hatred that he saw in Barnabas' eyes.

"Yes. Explain to me how come Liz is now in more pain than a human being can stand. Explain it to me how you could do it."

Derek began walking back, almost running.

"Explain it to me." Barnabas' voice was slow, with ominous echoes. Derek knew that if Barnabas ever got his hands on him it would be a messy and painful end for him.

"Enough!" George stepped between them "Leave him alone!"

"You know what he did! You saw Liz!"

"He did not know that it would turn out like this!"

Barnabas snarled.

"Don't be so damned self-righteous!" George shouted "as if you had not done worse!"

"I never..."

"Why is it so terrible? Because it happened to Liz? It also happened to Megan. And to Dirk Wilkins, and to Roxanne Drew."

"It was not the same" Without realizing it, Barnabas was now on the defensive.

"No, it was not. They did not ask for that to happen to them. You were just too busy to worry about being careful, so it happened! Liz did want it. She asked him! She paid him for doing it!"

"But he did not tell her what would happen."

"How could he, when he did not know of it himself? If Megan had had a cancer when you attacked her, would that have stopped you? If would not, so don't act outraged now.!"

Barnabas was now trying to answer the angry accusations hurled at him. George saw that he had made his point.

"Derek is one of my men. Whatever his shortcomings, he has been of value to me and I don't like the idea of you assaulting him, on any pretext. Understood?"

"But..." Barnabas was still unwilling to let go of it.

"Must I recite to you your own misdeeds? Must I remind you what earned your being strapped to that guillotine? Derek never did anything to deserve that. He never killed anyone. So don't get so high and mighty because he screwed up a bit."

Barnabas grumbled still.

"You know that I am right." George said firmly "Just go home and calm down. Blowing off steam the way your are doing does not help any."

Barnabas grumbled again, but in a more subdued way.

"Go." George said, more amicably now. "there is nothing that you can do here."

Barnabas gave Derek one last poisonous look and vanished.

"Just keep out of his way." George told Derek "he should have calmed down a bit tomorrow, but it is better not to push your luck."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Nunez grumbled "What would happen if I didn't go? If I got stubborn?"

"You might burst into flames. Or something like that That point was not very clear when I got the spell... Just say, that if you refuse to get turned back into a dog, you will regret it."

"So you say."

"You want to call my bluff?: Barnabas smiled grimly "do you think I'd not make sure of it? Why do you think I gambled on turning you back before you were ready? You cannot stay long in human shape."

"You keep me in a cell."

"Not as much as I could."

"For how long?" Nunez asked with exasperation.

"For how long what?"

"For how long will you do this to me?' Nunez' voice had an hysterical edge. "You have no right to do this to me."

Barnabas shrugged "Isn't it amazing how suddenly you have become a believer in human rights?"

Nunez looked at him with hatred. "You are not even human."

"Neither are you. Maybe in time that will change. But not now."

"God damn you!"

"It could be much worse. You know how much worse it could be. But it is against my nature to treat you as you treat others."

"Why do it at all? What am I to you that you persecute me so?"

"Norma Alvarez. She was my friend. And you forced me to kill her. Maybe you don't know what friendship means, but I do."

"I know what it means." Nunez sounded desperate. "I know what honor means, too."

"I knew someone else who knew what honor meant." he thought again of Captain Todd. "and he also knew about love. He killed his lover. He slashed her open with his penknife. That was how much he knew."

Nunez grumbled.

In a way, Nunez was right to complain. He had been deprived of his humanity, and of the ability to communicate his plight. Still, he was angry at him (and how much of his anger at Nunez was actually anger at Derek) and could not restrain himself from rubbing salt in the wound.

"By the way, the latest news from Argentina are that your people have managed to run the economy into the ground. Total disaster."

Nunez' face became redder "You do not understand."

"I understand enough. Oh, well, your wife and son are all right. And after a decent interval you can expect her to remarry, as she is now a widow."

* * *

He would take Nunez to Wyncliffe soon. He did not like what he was being tempted to do lately. Once, twice, it was bad enough. If it got into a habit... It was not Nunez' fault what had happened to Liz.

He sighed and picked up the copy of the "New Yorker" that Oriana had sent him. The cartoons were funny enough. But that was not why she had sent it. Her article was inside.

It was good. She had done a good job of explaining the situation within the tribe. And the interview with Old Munsungan made it complete.

Barnabas grimaced. That was why Oriana kept coming back. For that interview. Once she had gotten it she did not need Barnabas anymore.

It made him feel used. Maybe if he had not come to believe that she cared about him. A casual relationship she said. But it was not even that...

She was going places. And he should be content. He was her source and she could not expose him without committing professional suicide. That was what he wanted from her, wasn't it? He also got to take her to bed, and that had been nice, too. And when three was another story, and she came back, he could lay down the conditions...

Damnit! She wrote so well! It seemed somehow unfair that on top of everything she was a good writer. And writers were like that. Just praise the work, and be patient with the person...

The door opening behind him announced that George had come in. With a sight, he dropped the magazine and turned to receive him.

"Still angry at me?" George asked. "You know that I was right about it."

"I... I guess you were." Barnabas wasn't precisely gracious in his acknowledgement.

"I have something for you'd Kind of a peace offering. I just heard from Judge Carter."

"Good news?"

"It is not official yet. But yes. She is going to approve the adoption."

His pique gone, Barnabas embraced George "Does this mean...?"

"Yes. Legally you are going to be Urien's father."

"Really? I am?" Barnabas said delightedly, the last of his anger gone.

"Unofficially still. But you are going to get it. Say, aren't you going to tell Urien about it?"

"Right now. Urien! Come here... son."

* * *

"I take that I am forgiven" George said later, after all the champagne had been drunk.

"Of course, you are." Barnabas grinned. "And you were right. But I was so angry."

"I can understand your being so. I saw Liz. It must be horrible for her."

"It is. But in another sense it is good." Barnabas grimaced "it gives her and Carolyn some time together, and they both need it. Maybe Derek was right in doing it... still.."

"Still it is hard. And he took a foolish chance. But then, what do you expect from Derek? Not judgment, I hope."

"No, Nobody who fixed the horses the way he did.."

"He fixed horses? I hadn't heard that one."

Well, it had to come out. Reluctantly Barnabas old George of the time he had found Buffy washing off the blood off the car.

George guffawed. "Typical. That's his style, all right. And Buffy went along?"

"To her everlasting shame, she did,"

"Well," George lifted his cup. "This one's to Derek Pearce, the one and only. At least one hopes that he's the only one of his kind."

"I'll drink to that."

* * *

What will happen to Liz? What about Vicky and her baby? Is there an answer to their predicament? What is Adam plotting? And what will Yolanda do next? And did Willie really see an U.F.O.?

Stay tuned.


End file.
